This is a photo of me and my dog, Rosie.
In case you didn't pick it up, I'm deeply attached. I've also developed a strong urge to protect her.
Like many worried pet owners before me, I started investigating the minefield that is pet insurance, but all the policies I looked at were expensive, confusing and full of exclusions.
It turned out I wasn't alone in questioning the options on the market.
When consumer group Choice recently reviewed 76 pet insurance policies, it couldn't find even one to recommend.
Nevertheless, I still found myself weighing up getting insurance for Rosie, simply for the peace of mind I imagined it could bring.
I wanted to know more, so I reached out to pet owners to hear their stories about insurance: the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good: Peace of mind
Kasey Drayton's Max, a fluffy white Lhasa Apso/Maltese, was no ordinary dog. He was a companion and a member of the family.
For 12 years, Max accompanied Kasey to work. He came with the family on holidays. When Kasey married, Max was the ring bearer.
But, from an early age, Max was beset with health problems. He had issues with digestion, which were eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome, and had cancer for four years before he died last January.
Kasey's vet told her she was one of the lucky few dog owners to have come out ahead on pet insurance.
"[Max] didn't have a hip replacement or anything, but there was an endless stream of little things," she told me.
Kasey now has two Schnoodles, Sullivan and Chester. They are both insured, but Kasey's not sure she'll come out ahead again.
"I think any gains we have made previously may be negated by these two," she told me.
"You just don't know. We haven't claimed anything yet, but nothing has happened."
Kasey Drayton's pet insurance experience
- Premiums: About $10,000 over 15 years for Max ($55 a month)
- What she claimed back: More than the premiums she paid
- What if something happened? "It's very difficult. It's one of those things, where you just think, 'Oh my goodness, they spent $25,000 on a hip replacement'. But they're your baby."
Jodie Bennett lives in the Pilbara with two dogs and two cats and wouldn't be without pet insurance.
When one of her cats, Ninja, was diagnosed with acute leukemia, the insurance meant Jodie didn't have to make decisions based on money. In the end, before Ninja died, the vet even tried a blood transfusion.
Jodie's bigger dog, Sam, a 35-kilogram American Staffy cross, has a habit of hurting herself while trying to escape the backyard.
Big dogs live shorter lives, and are more expensive to treat than smaller breeds, which means higher premiums.
One thing on Jodie's mind is snakes: Sam was bitten by one about three years ago, but thankfully wasn't injected with venom. In the Pilbara, an injection of life-saving anti-venom could set Jodie back thousands of dollars if she was uninsured.
"The insurance means if something really bad happens, I don't have to think about the cost straight away," Jodie told ABC Everyday.
Jodie Bennett's pet insurance experience
- Premiums: About $1,440 per year ($120 per month) for two dogs and two cats
- What she claimed back: "It'd be in the thousands, easily. And I've had 80 per cent back on that."
- What if something happened? "It means cost doesn't have to come into the equation when you have to make a decision about treating your animal."
The bad: Premiums, premiums and more premiums
Gaye Slater decided to take out pet insurance for her dog Benji, a Groodle, shortly after getting him eight years ago.
Gaye decided to stop paying the insurance last year, but she's not sure she's made the right decision.
Because of Benji's age, most insurers wouldn't cover him now — so Gaye might not be able to change her mind even if she wanted to.
Gaye has decided to rely on her emergency savings to cover Benji's health costs.
"It's like health insurance. You're damned if you have it, you're damned if you don't," Gaye told me.
"When I walk along the beach, sometimes I [say in my head], 'Please don't attack my dog', now that I don't have insurance."
Gaye Slater's pet insurance experience
- Premiums: About $6,000 to insure Benji over eight years on a top-level plan ($62.50 per month)
- What she claimed back: About $1,000
- What if something happened? "I do have back-up money … [but] if it was an astronomical bill, I'd be in trouble."
The ugly: Exclusions and restrictive policies
Of all the people I spoke to, Jane had the worst experience with pet insurance.
Jane took out a top-of-the-range policy for her two dogs before going on an overseas trip. Three weeks later, after paying the $1,300 annual premium, Jane's Jack Russell, Essy, injured her anterior cruciate ligament at the park.
After paying another $1,500 for an operation, Jane was shocked to find out her policy didn't cover injuries in the first month.
"What they didn't tell us was that we had a month where we couldn't make any claims," she told me.
"We were paying for insurance, but we weren't getting any insurance."
Shortly afterwards, the insurance company told Jane that, because of the injury, Essy's joints would no longer be covered under the policy. On top of that, her premium went up.
After looking around for a better deal, Jane has decided she won't renew her insurance after this year.
Jane's pet insurance experience
- Premiums: About $2,800 for two dogs on a top policy for two years ($125 per month)
- What she claimed back: About $300 so far.
- What if something happened? "It's a difficult one … but I know we will always take advice from our vet and do what's best for our precious girls."
Questions to ask yourself
If you're thinking about taking out an insurance policy for your pet, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Have you read through the product disclosure statement and other important documents?
- Do you understand what's covered and what's not?
- Is there a co-payment? How are bills paid? (Under most policies, you pay the bill and insurer reimburses you.)
- If your pet was in an emergency, would you be able to pay for the bill at short notice? If so, have you thought about self-insurance?
- Is your dog's breed prone to health issues? If so, are these issues covered by the insurer?
- How old is your dog? Older dogs can be difficult to insure. Are you prepared to be slugged with premium increases as your dog ages?
- Does your dog have pre-existing conditions? If so, they may render the policy useless.
- Does the policy have a waiting period during which you are unable to make a claim?
- Do you plan to keep your dog insured? Once your dog reaches eight or nine years, it can be very difficult to switch.
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