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Pet Loss Support Group starts November 30, 2010

Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Comments

From the Dane County Humane Society:

Memorial Pet Services, in collaboration with HospiceCare, is pleased to offer a 4-week support group for people who have experienced the death of a pet. Our interactive sessions, led by a HospiceCare Grief Counselor, will provide information on the grief process, coping techniques and allow participants to share and support each other over the loss of their beloved pet.


The new session of the Pet Loss Support Groups starts:

November 30, 2010

6:00pm-8:00pm

Memorial Pet Services, 4319 Twin Valley Rd, Suite 15, Middleton


The next session will begin on Wednesday, September 8. Participants must pre-register, as we need to have a minimum of 4 people in order to hold these sessions. Once the session has started, additional participants cannot be added. The price for this support group is $40/person.

For additional information or to pre-register, please contact Maura Taggart, HospiceCare, at 608.327.7265 or Memorial Pet Services at 608.836.7297.

Sun Prairie man accused of brutally murdering pet dog

Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Comments

Michael Aasen, age 25, of Sun Prairie, WI was charged today with Mistreatment of Animals (Cause Death), Disorderly Conduct, Battery, and Intentionally Mistreating Animals.

Aasen is accused of domestic violence toward his wife. He is also accused of killing the couple's dog by stabbing it in an artery and allowing the animal to bleed to death.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 10, 2010 in this matter before the Honorable Sarah O'Brien in Dane County Circuit Court Branch 16.

To read the full complaint, click here. Be warned: it is very graphic and contains offensive language.

You can also check out the story from Wisconsin State Journal.

Why pet insurance is necessary for the fiscally challenged

Monday, November 1, 2010 Comments

As everyone knows, access to health insurance is the talk of the nation right now. Insurance is a necessity in this country. What many don't realize is that insurance isn't just for people; it's for pets, too. Many companies are now offering health insurance plans for pets that can cover anything from basic check-ups to the most advanced surgeries and treatments.

So why would a pet need health insurance? If you own a pet, you know the expenses involved. Routine check-ups can easily cost $50 out-of-pocket. Preventative bloodwork will cost you extra. Urinalysis will cost you. Vaccinations will cost you. . All of these routine expenses can amount to literally hundreds of dollars a year, and this is assuming your pet is healthy! It's wise to put away money in a savings account to plan for these expenses, but sometimes we don't follow up on our good intentions. Often this lack of available funds leads to the pet going to the vet less often for routine care, and serious conditions may go unnoticed.

Speaking from experience, unexpected illness in a pet can cost a small fortune. When our cat Gabe came down with a serious UTI and struvite crystals, we were caught totally off-guard. In between medications, urinalysis, catheterization, a hospital stay, and follow-up visits, this little incident cost our family well over $1000. We didn't have the money for the treatment at the time, but if we didn't act immediately Gabe would certainly die within a day or two. What did we do? It went on the credit card. We hadn't expected any of our pets to come down with a life-threatening condition! Our poor planning led to a fully recovered cat and a hefty credit card balance.
Photo Credit: Pasado Safe Haven

This is where pet insurance comes in. It seems that modern Americans in general are lousy at saving money. It's just not in our nature, and given the economy it's not entirely practical for many families. Pet insurance can be the answer for these types of people. Just like regular health insurance, you pay the monthly, quarterly or yearly premium and sometimes a co-pay for services. It simply becomes another necessary expense in your budget, instead of something you "probably should set aside money for." By securing insurance for your pet, you ensure that you will be able to provide for your pet when the need arises (and trust me, it will!) and you won't be forced to run up your credit card bills or take out a second mortgage.

If you are one of those "someday" people with unfulfilled good intentions of saving money for your pet's needs, enrolling your pet in pet insurance is both responsible and practical. Adding another monthly expense is obviously not desirable, but the monthly premium and peace of mind will be far better in the long run than the high interest rates and never-ending payments financing an emergency surgery will present. Pet ownership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Pets feel pain, have needs, and experience emotions; it's up to us as their caregivers to give them the best we are able to provide. Pet insurance can take our good intentions and turn them into positive, responsible action.

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