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Thanks to you and our other cherished members, we’ve reached a re-bark-able milestone: one million pets covered!
We issued our one-millionth pet policy in late May 2021, and we’re thrilled that the Nationwide pet family is now bigger than ever.
"We are truly honored that so many pet families have put their trust in us to cover their precious pets." —Heidi Sirota, SVP and Chief Pet Officer
First and fur-most
Nationwide has been protecting pets in the U.S. for longer than anyone else. In fact, we issued the first American pet insurance policy to Lassie, the iconic collie of the silver screen, back in 1982.
Thirty-nine years and millions of paws, feathers, snoots and tails later—we’ve seen and covered it all with extraordinary care. Including…
Coverage for critical conditions
Wynn’s love of big, fluffy dogs originated from an experience as a child in the hospital. It’s why she and her husband, Eric, decided to adopt Wile E., a big, friendly Bernese mountain dog pup.
Wile E. was on his way to becoming a therapy dog himself when a life-threatening health condition put him in emergency surgery. Thanks to some quick thinking at the vet and the care of his family, he’s now as healthy as can be.
“I don't know how to describe it, but his face just drooped, and his panting got really heavy … at that point, we knew that he needed to get checked out.”—Eric Madura, Wile E.’s dad
Read more about Wile E.’s battle with bloat.
Max has never been much of a scared-y cat. Whether he’s out and about in the wilderness with his dad, or showing off to his fans on social media, he’s purr-pared for anything. But when a problem with his urinary tract sent him to the emergency room, it was frightening for everyone.
“The level of toxins from the blockage … was starting to potentially reach his kidney. When I found out the news, I was crushed and devastated.”—Truman So, Max’s dad
Thankfully, Max got the care he needed, and he’s now back exploring the great meow-tdoors. Read Max’s mighty story of recovery.
Elaine McCall brought her beloved Yorkie Lucy across land and sea to join her family. But just as Lucy adapted to home life, she faced new uncertainty—a mysterious gum infection that had entered her bloodstream and threatened her life.
“The vet took 11 teeth out when Lucy’s gums were really swollen … unfortunately, that wasn’t the worst part.”—Elaine McCall, Lucy’s mom
Thankfully, today she’s nothing but smiles. Read about Lucy’s journey.
And incredible instances
The Hambone Award is an annual prize awarded to the wildest, most unusual pet insurance claim handled by Nationwide associates.
Every year, the winning pet receives the coveted bronze ham award and a prize basket. The veterinary practice that treated the winning nominee gets a $10,000 donation to help treat local pets whose owners could not afford treatment otherwise.
Meet some of our past winners:
Lulu, whose parents long thought all the missing baby “binkies” were just lost. After watching her gobble one up one day, they brought her into the vet—only to discover that she had eaten 15 pacifiers, plus a bottle cap and a piece of a basketball. Even the vet was astonished by her massive binky bounty.
“After the surgery, the contents of her stomach filled half of a one-gallon Ziploc bag.”—Jennifer Zwart, Lulu’s mom
Learn more about Lulu’s Hambone Award-winning story.
Chopper, who loves welcoming guests so much that he broke through a glass window to say hello to some local kids. The resulting injury to his paws and legs nearly cut his parents’ momentous World Series trip short (thankfully, the vet stepped in to save the day).
“Chopper’s vet bills exceeded $3,000, plus we had to repair the house.”—Scott Brown, Chopper’s dad
Read about Chopper’s barrier-breaking debacle.
Kismet, who was stabbed while bravely protecting his mom from a violent burglar. In a critical moment, Kismet provided the distraction needed to let her escape to safety. Both Kismet and his mom sustained serious wounds fending off the intruder, but thankfully lived to tell the tale.
“I’m just relieved that we both made it … having Kismet insured through Nationwide helped tremendously with the costs as well.”—Shu, Kismet’s mom
Read Kismet’s harrowing, heroic tale.
All of these pets were able to get the care they needed to make a full recovery.
Meet our millionth member
Name: Kuma the Doodle
Pet mom: Katie Higaki
In her own words
Katie added Kuma to her family during the pandemic: "My current ‘dood,’ Leo, grew up with another dog in the house who was also a doodle, and he seemed like he needed a companion (I wasn’t wrong). I’ve been working from home, and I figured this would be the best time."
Why Nationwide pet insurance?
Katie says, "Any pet parent knows vet bills are not for the faint of heart. Knowing Nationwide is on my side gives me a sense of comfort with every vet visit."
Help us celebrate this re-bark-able milestone
We protect a million pets, but we know each pet is one in a million. Celebrate with us! Try our "One in a million" Instagram filter @NationwidePet or share our story with a friend by sending our "One in a Million" e-card at petinsurance.com/referral.
Add-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new petAdd-a-pet
Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet.
Enroll a new pet