Nation's Largest Pet Insurer Marks 3rd Annual National Pet Parent's Day(SM) by Recognizing Pet Parents of the Year

BREA, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- When Sally Benson of Grand Junction, Colo., lapsed into a diabetic coma in 2006, her German pinscher Thor came to her rescue by dialing 9-1-1, a task Benson had taught him years earlier. When Thor was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009, Benson knew she had to repay him. "I couldn't put my dog down," Benson said, "I decided to do everything I could do to help him. He saved my life, so I saved his life." Today, Thor is cancer free.

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) Co., the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, salutes Sally Benson and everyone who counts his or her pet as an invaluable member of the family by designating the last Sunday in April – this year, April 25 – as Pet Parent's Day. For the third year, VPI encourages pet parents to take the day to celebrate the bond they share with the special pets in their lives.

"So many of our policyholders tell us that the word 'owner' doesn't describe how they feel about their pets," said Curtis Steinhoff, director of corporate communications for VPI. "They store pictures of their pet in their mobile devices, throw birthday parties for them, and refer to their pet as 'my kid.' They really are parents to their pets, and that's the relationship Pet Parent's Day celebrates."

Anyone wishing to acknowledge the pet parents in their lives can visit VPI's Pet Parent's Day Web site at www.petparentsday.com. Through April 25, visitors can choose from ten different "e-Cards" with specialized animated artwork featuring dogs, cats, and other species of pets. Senders will then be able to write a personalized message to pet parent recipients.

In honor of Pet Parent's Day 2010, VPI is recognizing four policyholders who have come to the Company's attention in the past year for their exceptional pet parenting. These VPI Pet Parents of the Year have gone above and beyond in rescuing their furry friends from harm's way.

2010 VPI Pet Parents of the Year

• Sally Benson (Grand Junction, Colo.) — To save the life of her life-saving dog, Sally drove more than 400 miles roundtrip to see a specialist in Denver and spent about $3,000 in one month on Thor's treatment and recovery. "I love my dog, and my dog loves me," Sally said. "If somebody on a fixed income can do this, anybody can do this."
• Jim Gardner (Lake Forest, Calif.) — Jim put himself between his bijou/poodle mix Tizzy and an unleashed, much larger dog that locked its jaws on Tizzy's throat during a walk in July 2009. After much effort, Gardner managed to pull the dogs apart and get Tizzy to a nearby veterinary hospital where she was treated for neck lacerations. "I'm not brave," Gardner said. "I was just rescuing a family member that happens to be a dog instead of a kid or wife. Anyone who views a pet as part of the family would do that."
• Maria Santiviago (Rego Park, N.Y.) — In November 2009, Maria literally brought her Chihuahua Polo back to life after he bit into an electrical cord. "He wasn't breathing, and his heart wasn't beating," said Maria. "I didn't know what to do. I kneeled down, closed my eyes, made a fist, pulled all the way back, and hit him in the chest." To her amazement, Polo sprang to life and began running around Maria's home. Her veterinarian told Maria that, given his small size, Polo shouldn't have made it. Maria doesn't think what she did was special. "The dog loves me unconditionally; why would I not save his life?" she said.
• David Azrak  (Cherry Hill, N.J.) — David and his Havanese dog Kayleenda were startled this February when a large chunk of ice fell more than 100 feet from the roof of a hotel and came crashing through the rear windshield of his car. David instinctively pulled Kayleenda onto his lap and shielded her from the falling glass. "My only concern was the dog," David said. "She's literally with me 24 hours a day. Thank God, I and my baby escaped with only lacerations."

Note to editors: Digital images of VPI Pet Parents of the Year and their VPI-insured pets available upon request. Send requests to [email protected].

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

With more than 480,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the nation's oldest and largest pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America's pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet CareGuard(SM) for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.

SOURCE Veterinary Pet Insurance