Sunny Skies Ahead - Planning on spending some quality time outdoors with your pets this summer? While sun and fun are great for best friends, keep in mind that hot temperatures and cloudless skies can affect pets. Take proper precautions before heading out by stocking up on pet-safe sunscreen and fresh bottled water, and consider keeping your pet's coat trimmed short to help them keep their cool. If your pet is becoming overheated or is panting excessively, cut your day short and head for the air conditioning to avoid an unnecessary trip to the ER. And remember, never EVER leave a pet in the car unattended.

Eco Logic - June 5 is World Environment Day, a great time to examine the impact your pet may have on the planet. There are plenty of ways to lessen your pet's carbon pawprint, from switching to biodegradable waste bags to feeding an organic diet. One simple switch you can make today is to walk rather than drive to the dog park, groomer, pet shop... just about anywhere you go with your dog! Not only will it cut your carbon emissions, but it will help your dog get some much needed exercise. Find more tips to help your pets help the planet in the upcoming Green issue of fetch! magazine, due in homes, vet clinics and Barnes & Noble stores nationwide this week!

Work Like a Dog - Every day at Petplan is Take Your Pet to Work Day, but most other companies celebrate the day on June 24. If your business is participating in this meow-mentous occasion, make sure you're pup-ared. Keep an eye on your office pal, especially around trashcans and snacks. A tasty candy bar or accidental eraser ingestion could spell trouble. And don't forget to bring along a toy, water and food bowl, leash and a bed to help make the office feel a little homier.

Vets for Pets
(May blogs to boost your pet prowess!)

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Gardening with your best friend by your side is one of the most enjoyable activities of the summer, but not when your foray in the field exposes him to unexpected hazards. Certain outdoor plants such as foxglove and elephant ears can cause big problems for green-pawed pets. See what Kim Smyth, DVM recommends to keep your pets - and your prized rhododendrons - safe this summer.

Batter Up! - Many minor and major league baseball clubs have begun offering special days that allow sports fans to bring along their baseball-loving dogs to the game. But peanuts and Cracker Jack^® can be dangerous in the wrong mitts. Follow along with Dr. Smyth as she offers pet parents tips to make their doggy day at the park a homerun.

Move over, Rover - Who is your favorite celebrity pet? Rin Tin Tin? Toto? While these famous best friends have lived lives of fantasy on the silver screen, their breeds can develop real health problems. Learn what hereditary and congenital conditions are more prevalent in these famous breeds in this blog post from Dr. Smyth.

Moving on up - Petplan pet insurance is proud to announce the promotion of Elyse Donnarumma to Claims Manager and Staci Welsh to Veterinary Services Manager.  With an accomplished background as a veterinary technician, Elyse will work with our internal team to ensure that claims are paid quickly and accurately.  Welsh, an industry veteran with more than two decades experience, will draw upon her vast background as a veterinary technician, licensed claims adjuster and veterinary services specialist to communicate on a daily basis with the veterinary community regarding the impact and importance of pet insurance for their clients.

Speaking for Spot winners - Congratulations to our five lucky Speaking for Spot winners: Tony Couture, Lisa Burke, Janet Jordan, Lisa Nersessian and Kim Keck. These book-loving hounds will receive a copy of Dr. Nancy Kay's book Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life.  Subscribe to fetch! so you don't miss out on our next pawesome giveaway, and don't forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for more great contests and prizes.

Pet Portables™ winners - Congrats to our five Pet Portables™ contest winners - Holly Shea, Nora Spoerle, Donna Ellis, Susan Corning and Debbie Claire. Next time they hit the open road with the four-legged friends, they'll be traveling safely in style.

Shell Out the Fun - Add some nautical fun to the dog days of summer with these beach-themed Squeeki Shellz™ dog toys.

Feline and Dine - Leave your cat licking her paws for more with this grain-free, home-style recipe from Halo Pets, featuring real meat and no artificial preservatives.

Natural Inspiration - Bring the outside in with a Will Bark for Birch dog toy that is more fun (and more safe) than anything you can shake a stick at from your yard.

This past month, HSUS President Wayne Pacelle embarked on a nationwide tour to help spread the word about his new best-selling book, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them. If you missed out on the tour, you can catch a snippet from Pacelle's Mother's Day stop in Sarasota, Florida, here. And don't miss our interview with Wayne Pacelle in the Green issue of fetch! magazine.

Petplan policyholder Erika Muñoz referred two of her friends to Petplan and got $50 worth of Amex gift cards in return ($25 for each pet insured)! Take advantage of our Refer-A-Friend program - there's no limit to how many friends you tell! Click here to get started!

Cool as Ice - Keeping cool during a long car ride can be tough for our four-legged companions. When in doubt, turn on the air and always make sure there is water to drink. To help avoid spills or thirsty pets, freeze water in a bowl overnight and pack a few extra bowls in the cooler. That way your pet can lick and lap up the water as it melts, giving him a constantly-cool drinking supply.

Blanket Statement - Crating your pet is a great way to keep him safe and sound during travel, but during the hot summer months, think twice about including a thick, cozy blanket. Many thick blankets will trap heat, and if they are oversized, can even block airflow. Instead, opt for a thinner, breathable blanket or newspaper for the trip, and keep their favorite blanket stored for cuddle sessions once you're off the road.

Cats in the Cradle - Saturday, June 4 is Hug Your Cat Day! (no, really!) Whether or not your cat appreciates your embrace we may never know, but regardless, we love any holiday that involves spending time snuggling up with our feline friends. To help celebrate the day, we'll be hosting a Hug Your Cat Day Contest on Facebook! Upload a picture of you hugging your cat to the Petplan pet insurance Facebook page and you'll be entered to win a seven pound bag of the new lavender oil scented World's Best Cat Litter multiple cat clumping formula!  We'll randomly select a winner on Monday, June 6.

Pawsitive Change - In conjunction with Animal Lifeline and the Petfinder.com foundation, Bissell recently sponsored a community-to-community animal rescue and shelter rehabilitation effort in Eastern Kentucky from May 25-June 1. Volunteers and professionals came together to help improve conditions for dogs and cats at two Kentucky shelters: repairing fences, building roofs, cleaning kennels and more. The week-long program will hopefully make the time these shelter pets spend waiting for a forever home more comfortable.

The Sweet Tooth - According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some degree of periodontal disease by age three. To help combat doggy breath and cat-vities, North Shore Animal League America's Pet Health Center recently launched a full-service dental program. Dogs and cats can receive affordable teeth-cleanings, extractions and preventative care, all in hopes of helping them avoid dangerous (and costly) dental disease down the road. In addition, all of the pets adopted from the Animal League now come with 30 days complimentary Adopter's Advantage^® pet insurance (powered by Petplan) to help them start out in their new forever home on the right paw.

May Poll Results
How do your pets help celebrate Mother's Day?
Cover Mom with extra slobbery kisses: 51%
Wake Mom up early to play: 41%
Dig flowers out of the garden for the table: 8%



"A Sunny Tail"
Tell us how you plan to keep your pets safe during summer fun and you could win a Kong Wobbler (for dogs 25 lbs and over)!

May's "A Summer Tail" Contest Winner
"I have three Petplan-protected dogs, two Akitas (Su-Su and Kisho) and a Shiba Inu (Yoshimatsu). In the summer, I bake for the local school bake sales and always make extra dog treats to keep at home. While Su-Su and Kisho will eat almost anything, Yoshi is a treat snob. He likes organic and/or homemade treats. He doesn't like the free treats from the store or restaurants, and will put his nose up in the air and look away if he is offered a treat he doesn't want. But all of them will happily await their homemade treats with happy tail wags!"
- A.J. Janzen - Grizzly Flats, CA

The information contained in this website is for illustrative purposes only and coverage under any pet insurance policy is expressly subject to the conditions, restrictions, limitations, exclusions and terms of the policy documentation issued by the insurer. Availability of this program is subject to each state's approval and coverage may vary by state. Pet insurance policies are issued by AGCS Marine Insurance Company and administered by Fetch Insurance Services, LLC (Fetch Insurance Agency, LLC in Michigan), d/b/a Petplan (Petplan Insurance Agency, LLC in California). AGCS Marine Insurance Company, a member of the Allianz Group, is rated A+ by A.M. Best (2010).