Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 21, 2015

B2

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, March 21, 2015


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??


Who loves March 
Madness……so is Shelby! 
She is a 2 . year old 
American Staffordshire 
terrier who came to the 
shelter as a stray. Her coat 
is a gorgeous soft black that 
is easy to care for and feels 
like velvet after she has had 
a bath. Shelby is a big girl at 
about 64 pounds, but she is 
also quite a beauty.

 Shelby enjoys going for 
walks with our volunteers, 
sniffing and exploring the 
world around her. Although 
she is strong, she is responsive to commands and 
is very manageable on leash. Shelby likes getting 
attention and pets from her handler, and is happy to 
sit or lie down and get a massage or belly rub. She is 
a very affectionate girl with a lot of love to share.

 Shelby recently went to an off-site adoption 
event, and was friendly greeting new people who 
approached her. She behaved like the sweet girl we 
know she can be. 

 Shelby would benefit from some basic training 
classes to help her live up to her potential to be a 
great companion. As a 
young dog with a lot of 
energy, a daily walk or run 
is a must, and a large yard 
for her to get more exercise 
would be ideal. If you are 
looking for a happy, friendly 
girl to be your new best 
friend, please come in to 
meet lovely Shelby. 

 She currently resides at 
the San Gabriel Valley 
Humane Society located at 
851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
Gabriel. We are located off 
San Gabriel Blvd., north of 
Mission and south of Las Tunas. To arrange a ‘Meet 
and Greet’ with Shelby, please stop by any time from 
10:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 Her adoption fee is $135 which includes her spay 
surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. 
Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Shelby. 

 

 ee our website at www.sgvhumane.org for 
information and photos of all our available pets. 

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

TO INSURE OR 

NOT TO INSURE?

A friend recently asked me if I thought it made 
sense to get health insurance for a pet, and just 
as I was about to answer her question without 
skipping a beat, I realized I had no opinion 
whatsoever on the subject. After all, I’d never 
looked into buying pet insurance myself and I 
couldn‘t think of anyone I knew who had. Soon 
after that conversation, I got curious and decided 
to do a little research on the subject. This came as 
a challenge to me, as I am hard pressed to spend 
time shopping out health insurance even for 
myself, let alone for my dog. But, I was interested 
in learning more, so I did what I always do when 
I get curious - I Googled it!

 First, let me just say that I wish insurance 
companies would be so kind as to present their 
policy information in a similar fashion on their 
respective websites. I don’t know if it is done 
intentionally or not, but for whatever reason each 
has their own unique way of providing (or not 
providing) details on cost and coverage, making 
it very difficult for a simple-minded person like 
myself to shop comparatively.

 Fortunately, I got lucky during my search, 
when I hit on a website called consumeradvocate.
org, which just so happens to be featuring pet 
health insurance during the month of March. 
I’ve heard ABC news refer to Consumer Advocate 
now and then, while discussing certain products 
or services, so the name rang a bell for me. The 
website was actually quite helpful, in that they 
listed the top 10 pet health insurance companies 
based on the number of stars they’ve earned 
through positive feedback received from current 
or previous customers.

 Still, when I visited the websites of each 
insurance company listed, it was like trying to 
compare apples to oranges, due to the way they 
show (or don’t show) the details of their plans. 
Ultimately, I was able to determine that they 
all seem to share one common denominator; 
exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions. 
Apparently the pet insurance industry has not 
followed the lead of our federal government’s 
recent health care reform. This didn‘t necessarily 
come as a surprise to me, but there were several 
other exclusions that did take me by surprise, 
and definitely made me wonder 
if paying for pet insurance makes 
any sense at all.

 For example, nearly all of them 
exclude coverage for veterinary 
exams (really?), spaying and 
neutering (what a shame!), and last, 
but certainly not least, preventative 
care such as vaccinations, heart-
worm medication, de-worming, 
grooming, flea control, dental care 
and anal gland expression. I don’t 
know about you, but this list of 
exclusions just about sums up for 
what I typically pay out to the vet 
for health care provided to my dogs.

 I admit, it would be nice to have coverage 
in the case of an accident or some other type of 
emergency, but to spend upwards of $40 a month 
(I calculated an average of about $1.50 a day) “just 
in case“, simply doesn’t make sense to me when I 
am already spending thousands a year for the care 
they exclude. Regardless of my opinion, I decided 
to share Consumer Advocate’s list of top ten pet 
insurers, so you can do the research and decide for 
yourself.

10 Best Pet Insurers, as featured on 
consumeradvocate.org this month:

#1 - Healthy Paws: healthypawspetinsurance.com; 
800-453-4054

#2 - Pet Plan - gopetplan.com; 866-467-3875

#3 - Trupanion - trupanion.com; 855-591-3100

#4 - Embrace - embracepetinsurance.com; 
800-511-9172

#5 - Pet First - petfirst.com; 855-270-7387

#6 - Pets Best - petsbest.com; 877-738-7237

#7 - VPI - petinsurance.com; 888-899-4874

#8 - Pet Partners - petpartners.com; 866-774-1113

#9 - ASPCA - aspcapetinsurance.com; 
888-716-1203

#10 - Pet Premium - petpremium.com; 
800-935-7280

 I hope this list comes as helpful to you pet 
owners who may be looking to buy health 
insurance for your four-footed furry friends. I’m 
sure it makes sense to some, but to others such as 
myself, maybe not so much. I guess it depends on 
the specific needs of your pet, and what you might 
be expecting for the future.

 If you do happen to be in the market, I wish you 
good luck hunting. Oh and by the way, I’d love to 
hear from any of you who would like to share an 
experience you have had with pet health insurance 
- good bad or ugly. I think we can all learn from 
another pet owner’s previous experience and 
resulting perspective. Now, go and give your pups 
and kitties a big hug for me and until next week, 
don’t forget to love and let live


DogWalking & Sitting ServicesSierraMadre, Californiawww.canyoncanine.comchris@canyoncanine.comChris LeclercCanyonCanine626-355-8333 626-533-9536CCConCaCanyonCanineCanineeeieCCChris LeclercChris Leclercae,
chris@canyoncanine.com.canyoncanine.comwwwnCaSierraMadrare, CaliforCaalking&SonDogWWalking & Sitting ServicesonCa626-355-8333 62onCayeclercinnia6-533-95362eclerccanine.comanine.comani,CaliforirnanineSittingServiceseaninee
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