Your Summer Plans Include Your Pet — But Does Your Insurance?

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Summer is almost here, and if you're a pet owner, you already know what that means: hiking trails, beach trips, backyard cookouts, and road trips with your four-legged co-pilot. 🐶

But here's something a lot of pet owners don't think about until it's too late — a single unexpected trip to the vet can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. And your standard homeowners or renters policy? It usually doesn't cover a dime of it.

What Exactly Is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance works similarly to health insurance for people. You pay a monthly premium, and in return, your plan covers a portion of eligible vet costs — whether that's a sudden illness, an accident, emergency care, or in some cases, even routine wellness visits.

Plans vary widely, so it's worth knowing what you're getting. Some cover accidents only, while others include illnesses, surgeries, imaging, prescriptions, and more. Most plans reimburse you after you pay the vet directly, which means you can typically use any licensed veterinarian — no network restrictions.

Why Summer Is a Great Time to Think About It

Summer brings more activity — and with more activity comes more opportunity for scrapes, bites, ingested things they definitely shouldn't have ingested, and overheating. Dogs especially tend to get into more trouble when they're out and about more often.

It's also worth noting that in some parts of New England, tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease are a real concern for pets (and their owners). Treatment can be ongoing and costly if caught late.

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?

It depends on the plan, the pet's age and breed, and the coverage level — but in many cases, pet insurance runs somewhere in the range of $30–$70 per month for a dog and less for a cat. For context, a single emergency vet visit for something like an ingested foreign object or a broken leg can easily run $2,000–$5,000 or more.

For a lot of pet owners, the math isn't complicated once you see the numbers side by side.

Is It Worth It?

That depends on your pet, your financial situation, and your comfort with risk. But the honest answer is: for most pet owners who take their animals to the vet regularly and consider them part of the family, pet insurance is one of those things that pays for itself the first time you actually need it.

The best time to get it is when your pet is young and healthy — before any pre-existing conditions come into play.