Look at those eyes. She did not deserve this. Her owners said that they had her for a year, and she ran away on Halloween of 2020. She’s been missing ever since. By a stroke of luck, they were reunited with her on Friday, and she looked like this. Today, she was unable to stand or walk on her own.

The owners surrendered her to us today, unable to keep her or provide for her care. Someone knows what happened to her, and someone did this to her intentionally. Someone walked by her every day and intentionally chose to starve her. This is not a stray who’s been on her own for too long, even stray dogs have the ability to find food! This was done to her for reasons we can NEVER comprehend.

Her name is Brighe! She is currently hospitalized at Vet and will be for the next 2-4 days depending on how she responds to the very, very slow refeeding. Refeeding dogs who are in this critical condition must be done painstakingly slowly and is very dangerous. Too much food, too fast can send them into organ failure. At day 3: The moment we have all been waiting for…she is eating on her own!

She is up to getting 6 tbsp of food every 4 hours now! Day 5: Brighe’s bloodwork is looking better, she’s eating on her own, and she’s made big improvements. Our little warrior has fought so hard, and tomorrow…she gets to go home! We are so excited for our little survivor to put this nightmare behind her and get on with the rest of her life! She has a bright future ahead of her, full of nothing but good things now.

We are super excited about this and know she will be in the very best hands! We are so thankful for all of the love and support that she’s been shown. Day 6: Brighe is home from the hospital and settled in well to her foster home! She loves playing with this unicorn and it is so nice to see her play. She carries her baby with her whenever she can.

She can’t get up yet from a lying position, so foster mom has to help with that. Once she’s up, she can walk, but she can’t stop and stand or she falls over! Day 14: Brighe had her first short walk in the front yard today! Her walk alone has improved SO much in just 2 weeks! Big steps this girl has taken! We are so proud of our little fighter! Day 15: Brighe is doing well and enjoys her meals every 4 hours round the clock. One of the hardest things about caring for her is resisting the urge to feed her.

When we see a dog in this condition we went to feed them and give them all of the treats! Her foster mom is doing an incredible job of giving her exactly what she needs! Day 19: Guess which pretty girl has gained 4.4 pounds?! You guessed it! Sweet Brighe!! You go girl! Brighe has taught us so much about love and forgiveness. Her heart is pure, and she wants nothing but love, despite what she’s been through. Day 21: It’s Brighe! Look at how far she’s come!!

Day 50: Our girl is doing amazing and is now up to 29 pounds, almost double the weight when she came to us! Her foster momma, Jill, has taken incredible care of her and we are so lucky to have her on Team Brighe!! Day 55: Brighe has been going on daily small walks in her new foster home and tonight went on a big walk and is doing so well! She’s even strong enough to pull quite well on the leash, so we will start working on some leash manners.

Day 60: Brighe got to see her Momma Jill today! She was SO happy and so excited to see her! We think the feeling was mutual! Day 62: Today was the day!! Brighe is home She has a new sister that she’s crazy about and a mom and dad who are over the moon excited to make her part of their family!

Watch video bellow:

Is Pet Insurance Worth It? What to Get?

No one wants to get hit with large unexpected expenses.  We cover our house and personal needs with house and health insurance, so what about Pet Insurance?  Is Pet Insurance worth having?  Let’s cover the basics and see how the math plays out.

What Type of Coverage to Get

Like human health insurance, pet insurance offers different types of coverage.  Speaking with a few different Veterinarians (my father-in-law included) they all agreed that the best plan is one that covers “major medical” but not wellness visits.  This means looking for a plan that helps when something big goes wrong, but knowing that you will pay for well visits, yearly shots, etc.

Typically Pet Insurance reimburses you and not the vet directly.  While you can find plans that will pay for wellness needs, typically the price they reimburse will not equal what the vet charges.  If you decide to get all the bells and whistles make sure you understand exactly how much they pay for items.

Things to Compare Between Policies

How do you get reimbursed?

Do they cover medical boarding?  Specialists?

What about pre-existing conditions?

Are there waiting periods before you can submit your first claim?

Typical Pet Insurance Costs

The price of your Pet Insurance policy will be based on the age of your pet, the breed and any pre-exisiting conditions.  The bottom line, it is much cheaper to get a policy on a younger pet!

Comparing Top Pet Insurance Companies

There are quite a few companies in the Pet Insurance market.  Here’s an easy comparison between their main policies and prices. I’m comparing quotes for old 5 year old dog as most companies have rates about the same for cats and for younger dogs.

1. Pets Best Pet Health Insurance

The first Pet Insurance company in the US, Pets Best has been around since 2005 with a A+ Better Business Rating.  They offer accident policies as well as additional riders for preventive care.

2. Embrace Pet Insurance

Comparing the fine print on plans, Embrace Insurance plans have the least amount of exclusions over any other provider.  They also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

3. Trupanion Pet Insurance

Trupanion has been in business since 2008 and has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau.  They do not offer preventive treatment plans and only focus on accident and illness coverage.

4. Healthy Paws Insurance

Healthy Paws is #1 customer rated pet insurance plan across many review sites.  They have been in business since 2009 and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.  They also only offer accident and illness policies with no preventive care coverage.