Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

New Embrace friend alert - PetRelocation.com

New friend alert! PetRelocation.com (this is what happens when you hang out too much on Twitter!) 

If you have ever left the US or Canada to go to Europe with a pet, it's worse than trying to get your own paperwork in order. The rules aren't particularly clear, the airlines are some help but not particularly enthusiastic, and you have that awful feeling as you look out the window on the plane whether they will turn your family pet away at the other end because you overlooked some nuance.

In my prior life many moons ago (pre-kids, pre-MBA, pre-Embrace), I worked at a large life and health insurance company in Toronto, Canada. At the time, I was an actuarial student and lucky enough to get an internal job posting to Dublin, Ireland, which I jumped at. There was just one problem - what to do with my cat Simon?

At the time, there was a 6-month quarantine period for cats and dogs (to prevent rabies reaching the British Isles) and so if you took your pet across the pond, he or she had to wait at the border for half a year before rejoining you. When faced with such a long time in some sort of government pet facility (I'm afraid that however nice it is, my imagination really went wild on that one), I balked at the option and luckily some relatives took Simon into their home while I was abroad.

Now the rules have changed (it's a bit round about but you bring your pet into the UK under the new Pet Travel Scheme and then take it into Ireland) but I must say, if I was to ship a pet abroad while working for another company, I'd hire professional pet shippers.

Since I didn't look at the option all those years ago, I didn't really know much about pet shippers until I was on Twitter (@laurabennett) and bumped into Pet Relocation over there. We got talking and now PetRelocation is one of our most interesting affilate sites.

Since becoming acquainted with PetRelocation.com, I wondered what it would be like if I was moving to Ireland today: how would I do it; how much would it cost; what would be involved? Over at their website, I was quite surprised to find a ready list of most countries you might ever want to move to (and some you might not) and detailed requirements of what you need to do to get from here to there. Here's the page for Ireland.

Now why would a pet shipping company give you all the information so you could do it yourself? Because now you can see how involved the process can be. If you want to do it yourself, you can, but if you find it a little bit daunting (and it's not something you want to mess up either), you can get help from someone who knows what they are doing.

Anyway, it's a great place to start if you are researching moving your pet. Pet Relocation is a nifty example of how a small but focused company can get the job done well.

Shipping within the US starts at $1,000 and overseas starts at $2,500 so it's not cheap but it sure does take the worry out of shipping your loved ones to your new home. I've just put a quote in for my "move" to Ireland so I'll let you know how much that turns out to be.

P.S. If you are moving, you can get a 10% discount off PetRelocation's services over at the Embrace Pet Community in the services section.

Are you an animal lover who wants to be a TV star?

If you are an animal lover who's always wanted to be on TV, here's your chance.

GotCast is casting for a major network television show and they're looking for all sorts of people that have animals as an intergral part of their life. If your family has a love for animals & it is an integral part of your lives, business, hobby or philanthropic nature... they want to hear from you.

What are they looking for?

Families w/kids that either have lots of pets/animals (any type), animal related businesses, animal rescues, or interesting animal dynamics in the family! You could rescue animals, train animals, raise animals, work with animals or just love animals and have lots of them.

Applications run from 4/29/2009 12:00 AM to 5/29/2009 11:59 PM and you must be at least 18 years old.

Casting applications are here. Good luck!

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Embrace Pet Insurance

Couldn't resist - Happy Cinco de Mayo from Embrace... and Stella, an Embraced bulldog.

Pet shipping fraudsters resort to bullying

One of the people who contacted us about her dog being shipped from abroad (Cameroon I believe) pushed back at the scammers:

YOU ARE A FRAUD, USING EMBRACE LOGO IS ILLEGAL, I HAVE SENT YOU TWO NOTICES AND YOU HAVENT GOT BACK TO ME, PEOPLE FROM THE REAL EMBRACE ANIMAL INSURANCE HAS TOLD ME TO GO TO POLICE AND THAT THE REAL EMBRACE INSURANCE IS GOING TO FIND YOU, AND PROBABLY TAKE YOU TO COURT...

Here is the disturbing response:

DEAR CLIENT,

WE AREN'T FRAUDSTERS AND THE MAIN REASON WE NEVER GOT BACK TO YOU IS BECAUSE WE DON'T LOVE TO BE INSULTED.THAT LOGO WE USED WAS CREATED BY ONE OF OUR COMPUTER TECHNICIANS SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.

BUT NEVER THE LESS WE RECEIVED PAYMENTS TODAY FROM MARY TROTT FOR YOUR PUPPY'S INSURANCE AND CRATE AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO INFORM YOU THAT WE WOULD GET HER SHIPPED OVER TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ITS BEEN MORE THAN TWO WEEKS TODAY WE HAVE KEPT YOUR PUPPY HERE AT OUR AIRLINES AND SHE HAS BEEN GIVEN MAXIMUM ATTENTION BY THE PET DEPARTMENT AND BY THE VET.SHE WAS BEEN CHECKED EVERY DAY BY THE VET SO THAT SHE SHOULD FALL SICK OR GET ANY ILLNESS FROM HERE BUT THE VET SAYS THE SERVICES HE RENDERED IS FREE OF CHARGE SO YOU WOULDN'T PAY ANY MONEY FOR THE CHECKS HE GAVE YOUR PUPPY EACH DAY.

WE PROVIDED FOOD TO YOUR PUPPY EVER SINCE SHE WAS BROUGHT HERE UNTIL TODAY AND WE EXPECT YOU TO BEHAVE LIKE A RESPONSIBLE WOMAN AND GET ALL FOOD FEES REFUNDED BACK TO US BECAUSE THE INSURANCE AND CRATE FEES YOU PAID IS GOING TO BE REFUNDED BACK TO YOU AS WELL SO WE WOULD WANT YOU TO PAY OUR MONEY BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN GET HER SHIPPED OVER TO YOU.

RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS READY FOR HER FLIGHT SHE HAS ALL HER PAPERS IN ORDER BUT WE WOULD GET HER SHIPPED OVER TO YOU ONLY AFTER YOU GET HER FOOD FEES PAID.WE CALCULATED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD WE GAVE HER IT AMOUNTED TO $790 BUT WE CAN'T ASK YOU TO PAY ALL OF THAT SINCE YOU JUST PAID HER INSURANCE AND CRATE FEES.WE WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT SO THAT YOU CAN AFFORD IT.

YOU WOULD PAY ONLY $300 FOR HER FEEDING FEES WHICH WE GAVE HER OR ELSE SHE COULDN'T BE ALIVE TODAY AND YOU BEST KNOW THAT FOOD IS VERY NECESSARY RIGHT..SO GO RIGHT NOW AND GET THE MONEY PAID SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE MONEY AND GET THE PUPPY SHIPPED OVER TO YOU.NOTHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR PUPPY,SHE HAS ALL HER PAPERS AND EVERYTHING BUT HER FEEDING FEES MUST BE PAID FIRST AND WE WOULD GET HER SENT ONCE THAT IS PAID.

ONCE YOU ARE READY TO GET IT PAID LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN LET YOU KNOW HOW AND WHERE TO GET THE MONEY SENT TO.

THANKS

MANAGEMENT.

Don't be taken in. There is no insurance. There is no puppy.

Related Posts:
Email scam using Embrace Pet Insurance as a lure - bah! - intro to the pet scam
Follow up on Online Scam using Pet Insurance - what you can do if you have been duped :(
Foreign puppy shipping fraud continues - another sample letter from scammers

Barnes follow up

It's been a week since Barnes moved on to bigger and better things and slowly the hole in our lives starts to heal. It's going to be a very long time before I don't look for Barnes in the bathroom when I get up in the morning and on the bed when I turn out the light to go to sleep. Sometimes I feel he's still there, but he's not.

I dropped by the vet's office today to pick up Barnes's ashes to put on the shelf beside Simon, his litter mate (RIP Aug 21 2004). One day this spring, we'll plant a hydrangea in a sunny spot and use Simon and Barnes's ashes in the base. They both loved going outside so it only seems fit to have them lounging under a bush together, just like the good old days.

I also dropped off all the left over cans of low protein cat food we'd tried on Barnes over the last few months. Our vet assured me that they would go to a good home - likely a shelter that could use the food for their older cats.

Lily doesn't seem too affected, although very confused that I moved her food bowl from her old "subordinate" spot in the kitchen, to her new "head of the family" spot where Barnes's food used to be. We will probably adopt another cat later this year to keep her company, but for now, we're showering her with love and attention and appreciating her joy at the spring weather (exception was the snow today - no-one was very excited about that today).

Time for spring and new life and sunshine to grace our lives...

Time to say good bye to Barnes

As you may know, my cat Barnes has dealing with his kidney disease for a while now - for nearly six years - and he has been doing pretty well all things considered. 

 

As with chronic illnesses like this, he's had his ups and downs but a couple of months ago, he was definitely on an up, galloping around the house with Lily, his little "sister", shaking off the winter blahs. 

 

But then in the last month, his appetite dropped off and he started to loose weight and things started to go down hill from there. I've been hydrating him with sub-Q fluids and we have been working on his food, trying to get him to eat, but to no avail.

 

Early Sunday morning (yesterday), he retired to the basement and only came up because I carried him. Then he couldn't jump up on the bed. Then last night I noticed he'd stopped drinking - a very bad sign for a cat with kidney problems.

 

This morning, when he could hardly walk, we knew it was time to say goodbye to the old fellow and I held him in my arms as he was put to sleep. He looked at me with his lovely green eyes just being with me as he passed on.  

 

Thank you Barnes for your friendship and love. We will sorely miss you.

Related Posts:
Lily and Barnes visit our new office
Update on Barnes
I Heart Barnes
Lily and Barnes at the vet

Support our small pet-related businesses: waggintails

 

I've followed Waggintails for 5 years now. John Gigliotti, the founder, is really passionate about quality foods (read healthy and safe) for pets and has an exceptional online business that satisfies that niche admirably.

So, I was moved to action when I received the email below:

Dear Friend

I lost a good customer the other day. 

I was out of what the product needed, and she was able to find someone else that had it.  “I can’t keep my dogs waiting,” she emailed me.  

She had been with me for three years.  It hurts.

It hurts because I’ve built my whole business on always going the extra mile for my customers and trying hard to earn your loyalty.  And right now, with the economy slumping and with so many of our suppliers hurting, too, it just isn’t possible to always deliver the ship times you’ve come to expect.  I know that puts everyone in a difficult situation.  You can’t feed your dogs and cats apologies.

I could explain it all, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear it.  You may even be hurting, too.  In fact, if you’re feeling the slowdown in your own life or business, you definitely have my empathy. 

I just hope we can get through this together.  I can’t afford to lose another good customer at times like these. 

I wish I could promise things will be better next week or next month, but I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep.  All I can say is, I will continue to do everything I my power to serve you, just as I always have.    

My values haven’t changed, and I know yours haven’t either.   I still sell only products that are good and healthy for pets.  And nothing matters more to my than your pets’ health, and your satisfaction.

There is one thing you can do to help.  If you can place your orders with some extra lead time during these difficult times, it would be very much appreciated.  I don’t want your pets to go hungry or have to switch brands.  And I definitely don’t want to lose another good customer.

With sincere thanks for your business — and your patience,  

John Gigliotti

So if you care about quality pet foods and small business in the US, please visit the Waggintails website.

Better yet, visit the Embrace Pet Community website first and get 10% off non-sale items by clicking through the Featured Partner field top right. We get nothing for your click except the satisfaction that a good business is being supported by people who care.

What do you think of John's email above?

Sneak peak at the 2009 Pet Trends

I have to keep this short (big day tomorrow) but if you are interested in a sneak peak at the 2009 pet trends coming up, here's a story on some off-the-top-of-my-head comments to journalist Darcy Lockman made on the subject a month ago in her article A Dog-Centric Look Back at 2009.

The biggest trend Darcy thought for 2009?

But what is Bennett's biggest prediction for 2009? She thinks the popularity of adopting a shelter dog will skyrocket. "Shelters and rescues will be the big thing after the Obamas move into the White House. Everyone will want to say, 'I got my dog from the same place the president got his.'"

What do you think?

Barney and Miss Beazley say their Good-Byes to the White House in their 2008 Christmas Video

It's that time of year again - the release of the Barney Cam VII: A Red, White and Blue Christmas (2008) Windows Media, Quicktime, and Real Media)

This year, the fun-filled video features Barney decorating the Whitehouse encouraged by a few Olympic friends such as Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, and Shawn Johnson, along with the Ryder Cup team too. Not a bad set of co-stars to end a stella career with, eh Barney?

What will we do next year when Barney and Miss Beazley have departed the White House? I wonder what the new First Dog will do to top that?

Pet gift idea for your favorite cat or dog lover: give veterinary care to those that need it

If you are looking for a holiday gift for a cat or dog lover that's a little more caring this season, how about a donation to help those who cannot afford veterinary care on behalf of your favorite dog or cat lover.

Bring Pet Care to Those Who Need it Most

Dogs and cats are always there for us. Help us always be there for them.

For many in the world's most disadvantaged communities a pet is all a person has. But pets suffer from poverty the same way their owners do and are vulnerable to disease, malnutrition, and abandonment if their owners are without the means to provide proper care.

Your gift will provide desperately needed veterinary care and vital animal education to pet owners in some of the world's poorest communities.

We were planning our Christmas gift exchange and Carrie came up with this idea. The minimum gift amount of $25 is a bit above our office limit of $10 but I thought it was such a good idea that I just had to share.

Got any other good ideas you want to share with others?