Dr Lani Burrell stands firm in her opinion for pet insurance to become enforced Photo by Claudia Czerwinski, April 4 2013.
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Is it time for pet insurance to be compulsory?
27th May 2013 1:56 PM
Veterinarians in Western Sydney raise questions on whether pet insurance should become compulsory for ownership of pets due to financial burdens of veterinary costs.
Pet owners in low-income areas are more likely to be heavily affected by the bills, said Dr Lani Burrell from Woodstock Animal Hospital in Rooty Hill. ‘People are already struggling to do the basic care on their animals … so it’s just not a priority in their life to get pet insurance.’
Dr Donna McGrath, owner of Hills Family Pet Vet in Castle Hill says, ‘poorer areas that I’ve worked in have none… it’s another expense they have to cover and take a gamble’. Statistics revealed 1,418 of dogs euthanized out of a total 4,862 were due to medical reasons during 2011 – 2012 in NSW according to the RSPCA website.
‘It’s very common for families to not be able to financially pay for vet bills, so the only option is to put the pet to sleep,’ says Joanna Zafiris from Petplan Insurance. “People that know they can't afford a vet bill can’t afford to not have pet insurance.”
Should pet insurance be compulsory? Dr Burrell says ‘an animal is an expense…it should be kind of attached in a way.’ Pet insurers such as Pet Secure offer ‘three levels of cover…there’s so many choices for people to choose from’, says an employee.
Families from low-income areas may be unable to pay for insurance because of their ‘financial situation’, says Pet Secure. Dr McGrath says ‘it’s a shame disadvantaged families get to a point where they can’t afford to keep a pet’.
The current NSW health care card provides ‘refunds for medical expenses… [and] concessions such as health care costs’ (humanservices.gov.au). Inclusions of certain veterinary bills in the health care card would ‘encourage owners to pay for pet insurance’, said Dr McGrath.
‘It is a privilege to have an animal and if you’re not in a position to provide that care for them… and you have to get the benefits from the government then you shouldn’t own an animal’ (Dr Burrell).
Pet owners in low-income areas are more likely to be heavily affected by the bills, said Dr Lani Burrell from Woodstock Animal Hospital in Rooty Hill. ‘People are already struggling to do the basic care on their animals … so it’s just not a priority in their life to get pet insurance.’
Dr Donna McGrath, owner of Hills Family Pet Vet in Castle Hill says, ‘poorer areas that I’ve worked in have none… it’s another expense they have to cover and take a gamble’. Statistics revealed 1,418 of dogs euthanized out of a total 4,862 were due to medical reasons during 2011 – 2012 in NSW according to the RSPCA website.
‘It’s very common for families to not be able to financially pay for vet bills, so the only option is to put the pet to sleep,’ says Joanna Zafiris from Petplan Insurance. “People that know they can't afford a vet bill can’t afford to not have pet insurance.”
Should pet insurance be compulsory? Dr Burrell says ‘an animal is an expense…it should be kind of attached in a way.’ Pet insurers such as Pet Secure offer ‘three levels of cover…there’s so many choices for people to choose from’, says an employee.
Families from low-income areas may be unable to pay for insurance because of their ‘financial situation’, says Pet Secure. Dr McGrath says ‘it’s a shame disadvantaged families get to a point where they can’t afford to keep a pet’.
The current NSW health care card provides ‘refunds for medical expenses… [and] concessions such as health care costs’ (humanservices.gov.au). Inclusions of certain veterinary bills in the health care card would ‘encourage owners to pay for pet insurance’, said Dr McGrath.
‘It is a privilege to have an animal and if you’re not in a position to provide that care for them… and you have to get the benefits from the government then you shouldn’t own an animal’ (Dr Burrell).
