Petsecure Pet Insurance Ensures BC SPCA's Adopted Pets are "All taken care of

PetLynx Corporation is please to share some exciting news from one of our  industry partners!

On November 29, 2010, Petsecure pet insurance and the BC SPCA are proud to announce a new partnership that will provide all cats and dogs adopted through the BC SPCA with a six-week trial of pet insurance through Petsecure's Adoptsecure Program.

Each pet adopted from any of the 36 BC SPCA branches across British Columbia will go home with a trial of Petsecure pet insurance for accidents and illness valued at up to $500.

Petsecure Pet Insurance's 'FURther the Fight' Campaign

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Petsecure pet insurance is joining the fight against pet cancer with their November Pet Cancer Awareness Month campaign, ‘FURther the Fight’, on Facebook and Twitter ... and PetLynx Corporation is pleased to be able to help them promote this campaign!

For every new fan to join their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter in the month of November, Petsecure pet insurance will donate $1 to the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Pet Trust Fund, towards pet cancer research.

September is National Pet Health Insurance Month

At PetLynx we love to share good news from our industry partners. Here's some exciting news about a great contest from the good folks at Petsecure!

September is National Pet Health Insurance Month and Petsecure wants to remind all pet parents about the importance of insuring their animal companions.

Did you know that in Canada, over 50% of households have pets ... but only 1% of them are insured!

Pet insurance is a valuable way of ensuring you can provide your pet with the best possible care, without having to worry about the cost.

To help spread the message, Petsecure pet insurance is offering a contest throughout veterinary clinics across Canada and on our website, giving pet parents the opportunity to win big!

Fill out a Petsecure ballot at participating clinics or online at www.petsecure.com  and enter to win a grand prize valued at over $4,000!  Grand Prize includes:

• one year coverage with Petsecure
• a 40” Sony LCD TV
• a one year supply of pet food
• an iPod nano
• a one year subscription to moderndog magazine
• and much more!

Second and third prizes include: an Apple iPad and an iPod Touch!

  

Contest ends: September 30, 2010. Enter today!

For more information about pet insurance, visit: www.petsecure.com

  

Thank you to all participating sponsors - Purina, PetLynx, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Dogs in Canada magazine, Modern Dog magazine, Fetch & Pounce, the Farley Foundation, the Canadian Kennel Club and London Drugs.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

ReFur-A-Pet Gift Card Give Away From Petsecure

PetLynx Corporation is pleased to tell you about a great promotion being offered by PetSecure, one of our industry partners.

Are you a proud Petsecure pet insurance member who knows someone interested in pet insurance? Or do you have a friend who’s having difficulties paying their vet bills? Petsecure pet insurance wants to help out through our ReFur-A-Pet program!

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

Portuguese Man O’ War Spoils Game of Fetch for Westie/Poodle Mix

You'll be glad your pet is HomeSafe with you after reading this unusual tale!

Pet owners visiting the beach for a day of fun and sun can anticipate the occasional safety hazard: holes in the sand, sharp pieces of driftwood or jagged shells. Unfortunately, after a recent experience with their two-year-old Westie/poodle mix, Ranger, Brace and Janet Rohrer can add stinging Portuguese man o’ wars to their list!

“My wife had taken Ranger to the beach that day and was playing fetch with him,” recalled Brace Rohrer of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “Ranger ran out to get the ball, but a man o’ war” – a venomous invertebrate similar to a jellyfish – “was lying next to it. Ranger pounced on the man o’ war instead of the ball and got stung on his right front paw.”

At his veterinarian’s office, Ranger received a dose of anti-inflammatory medication, an antihistamine, and a shot of pain reliever. He was one lucky dog! Aside from being extremely painful, a Portuguese man o’ war’s sting can cause fever, shock, circulatory and respiratory distress.

Rohrer’s claim for Ranger’s man o’ war incident was one of more than 80,000 claims received in the month of February by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance. Rohrer’s claim was considered along with other uncommon medical claims submitted in February and selected by VPI as the most unusual of the bunch.

As the most unusual claim submitted in February, Rohrer’s claim will be placed in the running for the 2010 VPI Hambone Awards. Each month, VPI employees nominate the most interesting claim submitted and in August 2010 the company will ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year.

The VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean hambone and a mild case of hypothermia.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

PetSecure Helps Pet

PetSecure pet health insurance was happy to deliver some great news to Romelda Morson, an active volunteer in her Toronto community and pet parent of two dogs - Impulse and Fynnegan. The company paid for Impulse's $2,500.00 ligament surgery after she was attacked by a stray dog and her former pet health insurance company denied the claim.

Prior to the attack, Romelda faced a hydro explosion in her apartment and was forced to leave her home with nothing but the clothes on her back, cell phone and pets in hand. After this disaster, she formed a tenants' association to ensure everyone living in her building would be treated equally and fairly.

"As pet parents ourselves, we are proud to give back by providing resources and support to the pet community across Canada," says Randy Valpy, President & CEO of PetSecure. "When we heard what Romelda had been through, we wanted to help; our goal as a company is to ensure that pets across Canada enjoy longer, fuller and healthier lives, even if that means helping one pet parent at a time!"

"Things like this don't happen often in our society, let alone happen to me," Romelda stated after Petsecure told her the good news. "Petsecure has reinstated my faith in insurance companies and I'm truly grateful for their generosity and willingness to support Impulse. This has made a huge difference in our lives and has taken away a burden of not knowing how we would take care of this payment."

Petsecure wants all of their members to feel secure knowing that in their time of need, and when they really need that extra help, they can rest assured that they will be taken care of.

Posted by Terri Perrin, Online Communications Editor

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

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer Among Most Common and Costly Pet Conditions

Cancer is not strictly a “human” condition. As the #1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, cancer claims millions of pets each year. This November, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) will seek to increase awareness about the prevalence, detection and treatment of pet cancer during its fifth annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month.

VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 after noticing that cancer diagnoses often caught pet owners by surprise. Many either did not know their pets could develop cancer or underestimated the cost to treat cancerous conditions. In 2008, VPI received nearly 30,000 claims for pet cancer.

To raise funds for pet cancer research, VPI has partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation and organized bi-coastal pet cancer awareness walks in Long Beach, Calif., and Brooklyn/Manhattan, NY.

VPI's website also provides pet cancer detection tips. To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet’s appetite or weight, unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise.

Overall, cancer claims were the sixth most common type of medical claim received by VPI in 2008. According to VPI’s claims data, which draws from a population of more than 450,000 insured pets, the following are the 10 most common types of cancer found in dogs and cats:

Top Pet Cancer Claims in 2008
1. Lymphosarcoma
6. Neoplasia - Liver
2. Mast Cell Tumor
7. Neoplasia – Thorax
3. Neoplasia – Spleen
8. Neoplasia – Brain or Spinal Cord
4. Neoplasia – Eyelid
9. Fibrosarcoma
5. Osteogenic Sarcoma
10. Hemangiopericytoma

Pet Insurance

Top 10 Wild Animals That Attack Pets
Pet Insurance Claim Stats Reveal Facts on Animal Attacks

Whether your pet is lost or home safe with you, he or she could be at risk of attack — from land, sea, and even air! Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), one of the oldest and largest providers of pet health insurance in the United States, recently reviewed more than 500 laceration/bite wound claims to determine which wild animals most frequently attacked and injured companion animals in 2008.

In addition to the usual suspects — snakes, coyotes and raccoons — VPI received claims for pet injuries caused by a squirrel, scorpion, javelina (a feral pig-like omnivore), porcupine, ground hog, skunk, rat, goat, beaver, woodchuck, black bear, cougar, hawk, rabbit, sea urchin, and jellyfish.

Top 10 Animals That Attack Pets

1. Snake
2. Coyote
3. Raccoon
4. Squirrel
5. Scorpion
6. Javelina
7. Porcupine
8. Ground Hog
9. Skunk
10. Rat

Wild animal attacks typically result in pet insurance claims for treatment of lacerations, bite wounds, punctures and soft tissue trauma. Snakebites may require anti-venom and scorpion stings may cause allergic reactions requiring antihistamines. Treatment protocols vary depending on the severity of the attack and costs can range from hundreds of dollars for bandages or stitches to thousands of dollars for surgery for damaged organs or broken limbs.

"Whether in urban or rural areas, pet owners should be aware of the danger posed by wild animals," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. "Our company’s data reveals that not all members of the animal kingdom observe backyard fences, or appreciate the curiosity of a pet that may enter their territory. Always make sure that a pet's rabies vaccine is up to date and if you know that potentially dangerous wild animals are present, or you're in an unfamiliar area, take extra care to keep your pet close and secure."