Family Pets: Unseen Victims of the Gulf Oil Disaster

Think about how animals have been affected by the Gulf Oil Disaster and chances are good that the first images that come to your mind will be oil-soaked pelicans and turtles ... not the pleading eyes of forlorn dogs and cats languishing in animal shelters.

According to a recent news segment on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, hundreds of family pets now face an uncertain future because their guardians are no longer able to care for them. Many who have become unemployed have little hope of things changing for them anytime soon. Sadly, they have been forced to choose between feeding their families and providing for their companion animals.

PetLynx Announces New HomeSafe Initiative

At the April 2010 Canadian Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies an exciting new initiative to make pet insurance protection available to the pet families of the 14 million+ dogs and cats in Canada was announced.

Under this new initiative, called HomeSafe™, Western Financial Insurance Company (WFIC) and PetLynx Corporation will develop health insurance benefits for the new on-line HomeSafe™ portal.

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How does it work?

HomeSafe™ will provide a range of products and prices from three of the leading pet insurance brands in Canada, all of which are underwritten by WFIC. Pet families may choose the type of medical insurance that best meets their budget and their needs from among these offerings. This coverage will  be registered in the pet's record on the HomeSafe™ national system, which is powered by PetLynx. In an emergency situation, pets registered with HomeSafe™ will have the shortest path to medical attention in Canada.

Who will benefit from the HomeSafe™ program?

Everyone! Using the on-line HomeSafe™ portal, pet families will manage their  animals' care profiles, breed information, recovery services, pet pictures and licensing information. Pet retailers, breeders, humane societies, municipalities, veterinarians and other service providers will have the ability to ensure that the pets they place or provide services to have medical benefits.

Why is a program like HomeSafe™ needed?

The Urban Animal Surveys, conducted for PetLynx Corporation by Ipsos Reid in 2008 and dmrkynetec in 2009, clearly showed that companion animal health and wellness is a top priority for pet families.

Companion animal industry intelligence tells us that:

• There are higher instances of surrender and euthanasia in communities where health care benefits aren't readily available for companion animals.
• To reduce or eliminate this situation communities and industry need to work together.

What industry sectors can be involved with HomeSafe™?

• Municipalities
• Humane societies
• Veterinarians
• Breeders
• Retailers
• All other service providers.

Why Western Financial and PetLynx?

Because this program delivers a win for communities, pets, people and the companion animal industry in Canada.

"We believe that HomeSafe™ is the most comprehensive approach to improving health and wellness for companion animals in Canada," said Randy Valpy, President and CEO of Western Financial Insurance. "We have already paid out more than $110,000,000 in claims, which means Canadians can trust us. Now with PetLynx and the HomeSafe™ program we will take health and wellness to a new level."

"Health care is one of the highest priorities Canadians have," adds Larry R. Evans, President and CEO of PetLynx Corporation. "Our colleagues across Canada helped us become the largest automated recovery system in just three years. Together with Western Financial Insurance we will deliver a new level of health and wellness for pets and help Canadian communities become the best place for companion animals in the world."

ABOUT WESTERN FINANCIAL INSURANCE

Western Financial Insurance Company (WFIC), formally known as Securican General Insurance Company, is the first and only licensed insurance company in Canada to focus solely on pet health insurance. WFIC has a number of product lines. Its core brand is Petsecure pet health insurance, and they also underwrite PurinaCare^® Pet Health Insurance, PC Financial^® pet insurance, CAA pet insurance and Hbc Pet Insurance.

ABOUT PETLYNX CORPORATION

PetLynx automates the Companion Animal Industry in Canada.  Hundreds of times a day, the PetLynx Automated National Recovery System recovers lost pets. PetLynx is the only Internet system in the world that can recover animals using a physical description, with or without any of the common forms of pet identification. It is also the only system that can recover pets not enrolled prior to becoming lost. To date, more than 158,344 pet recoveries have been facilitated through the PetLynx National Recovery System in Canada.

PetLynx....  lifetime protection for pets and peace of mind for people.

For more information contact:

Mika Sanson ~ Western Financial Insurance Company

204.942.2999 ext 7297

Mika.Sanson@westernfic.com

http://www.westernfic.com

Cindy Kreutzer~ PetLynx Corporation

403.219.1088

cindy.kreutzer@petlynxmail.com

http://www.petlynx.com/

Posted by Terri Perrin ~ Online Communications Editor

Survey Says.... Petsecure is #1

A recent independent survey* of veterinarians across Canada revealed that Petsecure Pet Health Insurance is the number one recommended brand of pet insurance with 8 out of 10 veterinarians recommending Petsecure pet insurance to their clients.
"It is rewarding to be recognized by the veterinary community," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of Petsecure. "We continue to invest our time and financial resources in the veterinary community and we are pleased to see that this investment is being recognized and that veterinarians trust and value our pet insurance product enough to not only recommend it to their clients, but to recommend us more than any other brand of pet insurance."

"We were also thrilled to hear the results of this survey," adds Larry Evans, President & CEO of PetLynx Corporation. "We are proud that Petsecure is one of our valued community partners and look forward to continuing to work in collaboration with them in our on-going efforts to provide lifetime protection for pets... and peace of mind for pet families."

Petsecure also:

• Is a corporate partner with the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA)
• Belongs to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) Business Management Program
• Has the American Animal Hospital Association Seal of Acceptance (AAHA)

Along with their Chief Veterinary Officer, Petsecure has a team of Territory Managers who work with veterinary clinics across the country educating pet owners and practice staff on the importance of pet insurance.

Not only is Petsecure the number one recommended brand of pet insurance by veterinarians, it's also currently the top ranked brand by Canadian pet insurance policyholders according to customer ratings on www.petinsurancereview.com. This independent third party website allows pet owners with insurance to rate their provider and offer advice to others looking to buy pet insurance. "Knowing that we have the support of both veterinarians and pet parents shows us that we are doing something right," says Valpy.

As the oldest and largest pet insurance company in Canada, Petsecure will continue to work with the veterinary community to provide the best and most innovative pet insurance coverage in the country.

*Survey conducted by by GfK Kynetec, a leading market research company.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

CNN.com Living is Looking for Pampered Pet Photos

Each week CNN.com Living invites people to share images on one of three topics - design, fashion and pets. This week, it's all about pets that live pampered lives.

Do you know any pet owners who care for their furry ones like they're members of the family? Like the two lazy loafers pictured here, who live with one of our PetLynx team members?

CNN.com Living is looking for over-the-top ways people pamper their pets -- from matching person-pet outfits to elaborate birthday parties. Show them your fancy carriers, pet jewelry, intricate pet furniture and homemade pet meals or treats. They are looking for images beyond dressed-up pets  that celebrate the human-animal bond.

Do you have some photos you wold like to share?

Click here for more information.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetLynx Hits New Marks for Jan/Feb 2010

During the first 59 days of 2010, PetLynx registered 6,876 new entities of which 3,193 were pets and 3,683 were associates. At the end of February, the PetLynx Automated Recovery System stood at 319,868 registered entities of which 147,695 were pets and 172,173 were associates.

The business plan anticipated a 'many-to-one' ratio of 'associates' to 'animals' when designing the PetLynx model. At the end of February there were 16.5% more associates than animals registered in the PetLynx utility. Since associates are directly related to transactions, either as pet families paying for services or as industry stakeholders providing services, management sees the ability to grow future revenues as being directly related to the number of associates registered in the PetLynx utility.

In July of 2009 the PetLynx V1 rate rose to 94% for the first time. At the end of February, PetLynx had automatically assisted 147,696 recovery episodes and for the first time in history achieved a V1 recovery rate of 100%. The V1 recovery rate is calculated as the cumulative number of recovery episodes divided by the cumulative number of animals registered on the system at the same moment in time.

With the highest V1 rate in the world, PetLynx demonstrates the unique advantage its registration model has. PetLynx animals are registered for their entire lifetime with no additional cost unlike other services where the information chain breaks when fees to change records are refused.

These encouraging metrics provide evidence that PetLynx is the most effective and successful recovery service in the world today.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetLynx HomeSafe Stories

PetLynx plays an important role in helping companion animals across Canada get HomeSafe! But whether PetLynx is the piece of the puzzle that helps a lost pet get HomeSafe or not, we are happy to share success stories!

Here are some comments from grateful people who wanted to share their pet recover experiences:

I did everything I could to find my cat... I had posters everywhere, went driving and walked in the neighborhood calling her name. On her 4th night missing, I decided to stay up and wait for her to come home. I wandered outside at 1:20 am and went to the back of the house. She came through the bushes, like an angel from heaven. She meowed with happiness and wouldn't stop purring. She is not normally is not a cuddly cat, but was so happy to be home. If you have lost your pet.... don't give up hope, they will come back!

Anonymous

SKY is ALIVE! She was hit by a car several kilometres from our home and has a badly broken back leg, cuts, bruises but most importantly non-life threatening injuries. We are ever so thankful for those loving friends that supported us in so many ways during the 48 hours of worry when she was lost. We are blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

      Sky's Mom

I am very thankful that the PetLynx website is available for anyone who loses or finds an animal. Just a reminder to anyone who see’s an animal wandering around their home.... remember that there is [very likely] a worried family somewhere. The pet just might need your help in finding its way home!

    Aileen,

    Hamilton, Ontario

PetLynx Announces New HomeSafe Initiative

23 February 2010

SecuriCan General Insurance Company, Canada's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, and PetLynx Corporation, Canada's innovative, cutting-edge provider of information services for the pet industry, are pleased to announce a new initiative for companion animals in Canada. Under this new collaboration SecuriCan and PetLynx will develop health insurance benefits for the new HomeSafe™ portal and offer pet insurance to all dogs and cats in Canada.


The Urban Animal Surveys conducted for PetLynx Corporation by Ipsos Reid in 2008 and dmrkynetec in 2009 clearly show that health and wellness is a top priority for pet families. These studies also show higher instances of surrender and euthanasia in communities where health care benefits aren't readily available for companion animals. To reduce or eliminate this situation the parties will work with municipalities, humane societies, veterinarians, breeders, retailers and other service providers in each community to ensure that every pet in the HomeSafe™ program is provided with medical benefits at the moment it reaches its first pet family home.


The HomeSafe™ program will provide a range of products and prices from three of the leading pet insurance brands in Canada. Pet families will choose the type of medical insurance that best meets their budget and their needs from among these offerings. Since this coverage will also be registered in the pet's record on the HomeSafe™ national system, those pets requiring emergency intervention will have the shortest path to medical attention in Canada.


There are over 14 million dogs and cats in Canada that require health insurance benefits. Using the HomeSafe™ program will give pet retailers, pet breeders, humane societies, veterinarians and other providers the ability to ensure the pets they place or service have medical benefits right from the beginning of each new relationship. In addition, pet families will manage their insurance coverage online using the HomeSafe™ portal where they manage their care profiles, breed information, recovery services, pet pictures and licensing.


'We believe this is the most comprehensive approach to improving health & wellness for companion animals in Canada', said Randy Valpy, President and CEO of SecuriCan General Insurance Company. We have already paid out more than $103,000,000 in claims which means Canadians can trust us. Now with PetLynx and the HomeSafe™ program we will take health and wellness to a new level'.


'Health care is one of the highest priorities Canadians have', said Larry R. Evans, President & CEO of PetLynx Corporation. 'Our colleagues across Canada helped us become the largest automated recovery system in just three years. Together with SecuriCan we will deliver a new level of health and wellness for pets and help Canadian communities become the best place for companion animals in the world.'


SecuriCan will launch this new collaboration in Canada on 19 April 2010, at the PetLynx Regional Summits for Urban Animal Strategies.


For more information please contact:


Mika Sanson
SecuriCan General Insurance Company
204.942.2999 ext 7297
msanson@securican.ca
http://www.securican.ca/


Cindy Kreutzer
PetLynx Corporation
403.219.1088
cindy.kreutzer@petlynxmail.com
http://www.petlynx.net/



Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor