Four-legged furballs can brighten anyone’s day and our pets are generally considered family members just as they consider us part of their packs. Covid has only heightened both this need for unrivaled affection…and the cost that can accompany such a relationship. Although pet parenthood has increased significantly during the Covid pandemic as people have decided to adopt cats and dogs for extra companionship, pet insurance – whether it be accident-and-illness coverage or accident-only – has not quite kept pace.

The numbers vary a bit depending on which organization does the research but it generally does not exceed the estimate that only 3% of owners use pet insurance. That is a surprisingly low number – at least in the mind of this dogged blogger – considering how quickly pet care can become cost prohibitive.

My Boston Terrier's troubles

I personally experienced the shock of finding out that the non-food item my 25-pound Boston Terrier consumed – and which got stuck in his digestive track – would cost $4,000 to surgically remove. I was informed that Zeke, my loving and funny – but irresponsible with strange eating habits – terrier would not survive without emergency surgery. I raided my savings account and wrote a check to pay for the procedure. That was more than five years ago and Zeke is still a happy and energetic brother to my son.

I likely would have qualified for a care credit card but interest rates would become a burden over time so I decided to pay cash. A lot of pet owners would likely not qualify for care credit at the limit needed to cover some expensive, emergency surgeries. The vet told me after everything was said and done that he had performed much costlier surgeries during his career.

Although I wish I had pet insurance at the time, it should be noted that pet insurance ranges from $200 to more than $2,000 per year. In Zeke’s case, he likely would have needed both accident and illness insurance to be covered, and that would have put us in the more expensive category.

How CrossCheck can help with that emergency surgery

Mine is not an unusual story. I have since acquired insurance for Zeke, just in case. However, the number of people who find themselves at the precipice of quickly having to decide whether to pay for the expensive surgery for their furry friend will likely need options.

In some cases they might have enough on a high-limit credit card, or they are able to pay cash. Rarely will they have thousands of dollars in their wallet, however, and will opt to write a check. This is where CrossCheck comes in with several services that will help veterinarians secure payment, and in the process help any heartbroken pet lover with options that can make it easier to save their pet without putting themselves in a devastating debt hole.

Guaranteeing the check for the veterinarian bill

With Check Guarantee, CrossCheck will make sure any accepted check will be fully paid to your clinic in case the check gets returned from the bank. In those unfortunate cases where a surgery doesn’t go as planned, CrossCheck also offers its Stop Payment Protection, which will guarantee the check even if a customer decides to call a bank and request stop payment following an unsuccessful medical procedure. Our Multiple Check premium may be one of the most helpful as it will allow the customer to write several checks for an expensive procedure, which will then be deposited at agreed-upon intervals over a period of 30 to 90 days. That may just be what a distraught pet parent who stands in the lobby of your clinic needs to make the decision to save their furry friend.