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A NEW scheme has been launched to help protect Guernsey pets while providing funding for the island’s leading animal charity.
Rossborough has pledged to give £10 to the Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals each time an islander takes out pet insurance.
The partnership is a huge boost for the charity, which recently unveiled plans for a multi-million pound redevelopment of its site in St Andrew’s.
‘Running the shelter is extremely expensive – it costs around £2,000 a day – so we are extremely grateful for each and every donation we receive. Rossborough’s initiative is a great one because not only does the charity benefit but it also encourages people to take out pet insurance, which can be really important,’ said GSPCA manager, Steve Byrne.
‘By teaming up with Rossborough we can combine two essential activities of the GSPCA and at the same time helping give pet owners peace of mind in many ways for their beloved animal and also that they are helping support animal rescue and care in Guernsey.’
Pet insurance is primarily designed to cover vets’ bills for the treatment of illness and injury. Other policy benefits can include meeting the cost of advertising should a pet go missing, rewards for lost pets and care for your animal should you have to go into hospital.
Tony De Sousa, director at Rossborough, said the initiative was aimed at encouraging islanders to protect their pets while at the same time benefitting the GSPCA.
‘Rossborough is a huge supporter of the GSPCA, which does a fantastic job in the island on very limited funds. Earlier this year, we gave the charity almost £1,500, half of which was raised by staff during dress down days and half donated by the company. The money was used to help redevelop the seal pup unit there which is just one part of the Animal Shelter’s ongoing upgrade,’ he said.
‘Looking after a pet properly can be costly and it’s important that when things go wrong, or an animal gets sick, which they inevitably do, pet owners have the security of insurance to ensure that their animal can be seen by a vet without the fear of huge bills mounting up.’
The average pet insurance claim is now £420 for pedigree cats and £469 for pedigree dogs, but claims can run into thousands of pounds. Pedigree animals are often prone to specific illnesses, so pet insurance can be very cost-effective. For example, Labradors often need surgical treatment for torn cranial cruciate ligaments, which can cost thousands.
Preventative treatments like neutering, vaccinations and flea or worm control, along with any pre-existing conditions, will not be covered. Nor will anything to do with pregnancy or birth.
Policies range from £9 to £35 a month.
