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It All Started When My Dog Broke His Leg…
My dog has been my better half for almost a decade. I live alone, ok? Although Pugsley is pushing 13 years old now, he’s always been in tip-top shape so I’d never seriously considered pet insurance before.
Unfortunately, Pugsley had a terrible accident last year, and his broken leg surgery cost an excruciating $1,800 that I did not have lying around. I was lucky my vet allowed me to pay in installments (which I’ve learned is quite rare), but it still drained my bank account, and the payments and paperwork haunted me for months.
Pugsley is getting older, and after this incident, I realized I need to get him emergency protection so I’ll never have to choose between his life and a vet bill.
The problem is, pet insurance is overly complex and too expensive – many are denied coverage, and those that do get covered face expensive premiums, sky-high deductibles, denied claims, and lots of fine print about what is covered and when. Although pet insurance makes sense for a select few, studies show 98% of pet owners are uninsured.
I’m not sure if it was the algorithm or divine intervention, but the day I started researching pet insurance options again, my favorite animal-rescuing influencer Lee Asher posted about a company called Pawp, an actually affordable alternative to pet insurance.
When you sign up to Pawp for only $24 a month, you get
- Unlimited 24/7 digital access to expert veterinarians
- A $3,000 emergency fund that can be used at any vet
- Coverage for up to 6 cats and dogs
I signed up right away, and it has already paid for itself 10 times over. Here’s why you should sign up too:
1. Pawp’s Digital Vet Clinic Is For ALL Cats and Dogs
We live in California, and since Pugsley is an old man like my dad, the price of every decent insurance plan I looked at made my eyes water, just based on the fact that he’s “more of a liability.” Fortunately, Pawp dried my tears!
Pawp doesn’t discriminate based on age, breed, location, or pre-existing conditions
Most insurance companies will surprise you with hidden fees and restrictions, or point-blank deny your pet coverage if they fall into a category that’s more prone to expensive vet visits. Unlike insurance, Pawp doesn’t discriminate against any cats or dogs based on their age, breed, location, or even pre-existing conditions. Ever.
2. Expert Vets at Your Fingertips, 24/7
Now that Pugsley has gotten to “senior” status, I panic every time he doesn’t eat dinner or has a weird bowel movement (sorry, TMI, but pet owners get it). I straight-up cannot afford to go to the vet for false alarms, so Pawp is the greatest gift I could give myself.
Unlimited, instant digital vet visits
Pawp is like having a team of vets on speed-dial who are available to text or FaceTime at a moment’s notice. The average wait time to connect to a Pawp vet is two minutes — even at 3 AM — which means that you can sleep soundly knowing you can consult with a vet instantly in an emergency situation no matter what.
Skip the wait at the vet
Going to the vet is not a pleasant experience for anyone involved. Once you wrangle your pet biting and scratching into the car, it could be a 45-minute journey to the vet’s office and another hour worrying and waiting to be seen, just to be told that your pet is ok. With Pawp, you can skip the line and get help immediately without putting any stress on your pet.
It’s not just for emergencies
Pawp’s vets are a life-saver in an emergency, but they’re also experts in nutrition, behavior, and pet health. Whether you’re an overwhelmed new pet parent or just need advice about the best type of chew toy for your dog’s teeth, Pawp’s vets are a wealth of information — and those non-emergency visits are all covered by your membership.
3. Pawp Comes With a $3,000 Emergency Safety Net
It’s comforting to know that if the unthinkable happens, Pawp has Pugsley’s back. I hope that I’ll never, ever have to use the emergency fund, but thankfully it couldn’t be easier to use.
They pay the bill before you leave the emergency room
If your pet is in an emergency situation, all you have to do to activate the fund is confirm the emergency via video chat with a Pawp vet before heading to the ER. Once your pet has gotten the help they need, Pawp’s team reviews the charges and pays the clinic directly up to $3,000 before you leave!
The emergency fund can be used at any vet or ER
Every second counts in an emergency. That’s why Pawp doesn’t require you to go to a specific vet that’s “in-network” like an insurance company would. Once the $3,000 emergency fund is activated, you can go to the closest emergency room or vet clinic to get your pet the help they need asap. Pawp covers any vet or ER in the US, which means that you even have emergency coverage on vacation or when you’re away from home.
4. Using Pawp is SO Simple
Signing up for Pawp was a no-brainer for me because it’s almost like someone made a list of all of my issues with traditional insurance and then found a solution for them.
No deductibles, co-pays, or hidden fees… just $24 a month
Membership is a flat rate $24 a month, with no deductible, no co-pay, and no hidden fees. They don’t require a physical or credit check, and once you sign up online, you have access to their vets and online resources immediately — the only “fine print” about the emergency fund is that you have to wait 14 days before it’s activated.
No claims or paperwork required
Seeing your pet in pain is stressful enough, but there’s nothing worse than dealing with paperwork and filing claims to (maybe) get reimbursed by an insurance company. That is, if you’re even able to afford the cost of the emergency vet bill before reimbursement. Since Pawp pays the clinic directly in an emergency, you never have to file any claims or worry about how you’ll pay the bill.
5. Pawp Literally Pays for Itself
A non-emergency vet visit can easily cost over $100, which is especially frustrating when those vet visits are the equivalent of “this meeting could have been an email.” By consulting with Pawp’s expert vets via video, I not only save myself precious time, but I’ve also saved enough money in the span of a few weeks to cover the entire year’s worth of membership fees.
Some final thoughts about my Pawp experience:
I appreciate what Pawp is doing. They’re not a traditional insurance company — they provide 24/7 vet services and emergency protection in a plan that’s affordable for everyone. I also admire how they’re up-front about what they do and don’t cover instead of trying to dupe you into a plan that doesn’t work for your pet.
As a pet owner who doesn’t think pet insurance is worth the cost and headache, I’d recommend Pawp to everyone I know, both for the on-demand vet services and the emergency fund. It could be the difference between saving your dog’s life and getting turned away from the emergency room.
