Health Hero: 50 Police K-9s Receive Insurance in 2018
Newtown Square, PA (February 21, 2018) – Petplan pet insurance announced that 50 working police dogs will receive pet insurance grants from the National Police Dog Foundation (NPDF) in 2018. The endowment, which Petplan sponsors, awarded five police K-9s with one year of Petplan coverage in 2017. The expansion of the program this year comes thanks to joint fundraising efforts between Petplan and the NPDF.
“The inaugural grant period was a success and we’re thrilled to cover even more working dogs this year,” says Natasha Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of Petplan. “To be able to protect 10 times as many deserving police K-9s in 2018 is beyond our expectation.”
In addition to hereditary health conditions a police K-9 officer’s breed may dictate, occupational hazards like gunshot or stab wounds, lacerations, tail injuries and exposure to highly toxic substances like illegal drugs all threaten a police dog’s health (and a local police department’s budget).
Veterinary care can run in the thousands to treat these types of injuries, so protecting four-footed police with pet insurance like Petplan, which reimburses up to 90 percent of the bill, makes good fiscal sense for municipalities. And insuring police K-9s while in active duty ensures that they can stay healthy through retirement; conditions are covered for life, as long as the policy remains active.
“Just like professional athletes, [K-9s] can be subject to injury on a daily basis,” says Officer Quinn Handley of the Upland Police Department in California, who was a recipient of the Petplan/NPDF grant last year. “Having insurance allows us to maximize our budget on other necessary items like training, equipment and dog food. To work with K-9 Rudy is a dream come true. It allows the department to do our jobs more safely and efficiently.”
Funding for the K-9 Health Insurance Grant comes via support from Petplan as well as contributions from the public. In 2017, Petplan and the NPDF raised over $50,000 to make the 2018 grant cycle possible.
Applications are open now through March 31, and all municipalities and other working police K-9 units are encouraged to apply at NationalPoliceDogFoundation.org/k9-health-insurance-grant-application-50. Grant recipients are chosen by the NPDF and will be announced later this year.
To make a direct donation in support of grant funding, or to learn more about Petplan’s sponsorship of the NPDF, citizens can point their paws to NationalPoliceDogFoundation.org/petplan.
ABOUT PETPLAN
Petplan has built an industry-leading pet insurance policy for pet parents who demand a higher pedigree of care for their best friends. We’ve leveraged 40 years of global experience to create completely customizable coverage pet parents can feel confident in, and world-class claims service that operates 24 hours a day, every day.
Petplan’s innovative approach to pet insurance has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Inc. magazine, Smart CEO, the Communicator Awards, Ernst & Young and many others.
Petplan policies are underwritten in the United States by AGCS Marine Insurance Company, a member of the Allianz Group (rated A+ A.M. Best), and XL Specialty Insurance Company; and in Canada by XL Specialty Insurance Company - Canadian Branch. The company is rated A+ by S&P (2018). Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. For more information about Petplan pet insurance, visit www.petplan.com or call 1-866-467-3875.
ABOUT NATIONAL POLICE DOG FOUNDATION
The National Police Dog Foundation is a volunteer organization that promotes education and awareness, and raises funds for the purchase, training and ongoing veterinary care of active and retired police K-9s. In 1998, the Ventura Police Dog Foundation began as a local group helping to fund the K-9 program for the City of Ventura, CA, and in 2004, the National Police Dog Foundation expanded its support to law enforcement K-9 units throughout the United States. Most law enforcement agencies simply cannot meet their ever-increasing costs related to their K-9 units. The Foundation has become a unique resource for these agencies, to get the assistance they need. The Foundation’s network of veterinarians includes some of the country’s most valued specialists in many varying areas of healthcare. The Foundation’s efforts are all done to support America’s selfless and courageous K-9 heroes. For more information about The National Police Dog Foundation, visit www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org or call 1-888-459-7768.
