Granting Wishes: Petplan Sponsors Grant Program with National Police Dog Foundation

06/15/17

Program will protect police K-9s with pet insurance; police departments encouraged to apply

Newtown Square, PA (June 15, 2017) – Petplan pet insurance today announced the launch of the National Police Dog Foundation (NPDF) K-9 Health Insurance Grant. The endowment, a joint effort between Petplan and the Foundation, will donate funds to pay for one year of pet insurance for five currently active police dogs and is open to police and other working K-9 units throughout the U.S.

In addition to hereditary health conditions a K-9 officer’s breed may dictate, occupational hazards like gunshot or stab wounds, lacerations, tail injuries, and exposure to highly toxic substances like illegal drugs all threaten a police dog’s health (and a local police department’s budget).

Veterinary care can run in the thousands to treat these types of injuries, so protecting four-footed police with pet insurance like Petplan, which reimburses up to 90% of the bill, makes good fiscal sense for municipalities.

“Police dogs may have the heart of a lion, but their bodies aren’t always so brawny — and they deserve the best protection in return for their years of heroic service”, says Natasha Ashton, co-founder and co-CEO of Petplan. “When Chris and I learned that K-9 units are notoriously underfunded and that police dogs are at risk for shorter and less comfortable lives because of the burden of the cost of their medical care, we knew had to get involved.”

The NPDF K-9 Health Insurance Fund, which is supported by donations, backs the grant awards. While the initial grant is for active working dogs, Petplan and the NPDF plan to expand the program to include retired K-9s, when the burden of their medical care shifts to the adopter. As donations to the Fund grow, more grants will be made available to K-9 handlers.

“Petplan’s support of the K-9 Health Insurance Grant, and their passion for improving quality of life and access to essential veterinary care for K-9 officers, dovetails perfectly with our mission”, says Jim Reilly, NPDF President. “Our hope is that this grant program will not only help cash-strapped police departments take the best care of four-legged officers, but also that it gets the message out to the public that there’s a simple way they can help ensure K-9s get medical treatment — and that is by donating to the grant fund.”

The first five pet insurance grants will be awarded in early September, 2017 and all municipalities and other working K-9 units are encouraged to apply at: https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/k9-health-ins-grant-app/.

To make a direct donation to support grant funding, or to learn more about Petplan’s sponsorship of the NPDF, citizens can point their paws to https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/petplan/.

About Petplan

Petplan has built the industry’s leading pet insurance for pet parents who demand a higher pedigree of care for their best friends. We’ve leveraged 40 years of global experience to create completely customizable coverage pet parents can feel confident in, and world-class claims service that operates 24 hours a day, every day.

Petplan’s innovative approach to pet insurance has been recognized by Forbes, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Inc. magazine, Smart CEO, the Communicator Awards, Ernst & Young and many others.

Petplan policies are underwritten in the U.S. by XL Specialty Insurance Company and in Canada by XL Specialty Insurance Company-Canadian Branch. The company is rated A+ by S&P (2017). Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. For more information about Petplan pet insurance, visit www.gopetplan.com or call 1-866-467-3875.

About National Police Dog Foundation

The National Police Dog Foundation is a volunteer organization that promotes education and awareness, and raises funds for the purchase, training and ongoing veterinary care for active and retired police K-9s.

In 1998 the Ventura Police Dog Foundation began as a local group helping to fund the K-9 program for the City of Ventura, CA, and in 2004 the National Police Dog Foundation expanded its support to law enforcement K-9 units throughout the United States.

Most law enforcement agencies simply cannot meet their ever-increasing costs related to their K-9 units. The Foundation has become a unique resource for these agencies, to get the assistance they need with the purchasing of the K-9s, their initial training, and the ongoing veterinary care for active and retired police K-9s. The Foundation’s network of veterinarians includes some of the country’s most valued specialists in many varying areas of health care.

The Foundation’s efforts are all done to support America’s selfless and courageous K-9 Heroes.

For more information about The National Police Dog Foundation, visit www.nationalpolicedogfoundation.org or call 1-888-459-7768.