Bombay, Lily, and Peanut Butter

Help us help homeless OC pets – the need has never been greater! Many good family pets have tragically lost their homes during this real estate/financial crisis and are being surrendered to animal shelters. Local rescue groups are working around the clock to save as many needy dogs and cats as they possibly can! They need our help and more available foster homes. Got stuff you don’t need? Can you share your home and be a foster pet parent?

Please donate your good reusable items for this very worthy cause. We are accepting donations Monday thru Friday – May 10^th to May 14^th during regular business hours at Founders Veterinary Clinic 330 N Brea Blvd, Brea. Fundraiser begins Saturday May 15^th at 9am until 3pm.

Donate and hunt for bargain treasures! Dog wash on site for a doggy bubble bath while you shop. All proceeds from this fundraiser – including our dog wash – will support our Founders Pet Sponsorship Program.

Please forward this information inviting your friends and family, too! And help us find homes for our three wonderful foster pets – Peanut Butter, Bombay, and Lily. So, what is Peanut Butter made of? Find out next week when we announce her pedigree and see if you are a winner!

It’s not too late. Vote here.

Vet perk #1: You get to stay and assist when your own pet gets sick – comforting my Braddy during his IV fluid therapy at ACCIM last Sunday.

So what happened? An undetermined cause (as is often the case), such as some a kind of toxin or pathogenic strain of bacteria hit his gut and caused a circulatory type of shock, resulting in a rapid drop of his blood pressure. Within seconds of rushing through the emergency doors at Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine (ACCIM) in Tustin, the ER doc and support staff huddled around us: An IV catheter was immediately inserted into Braddy’s forearm for blood collection/analysis and intravenous administration of fluids and drugs. At the same time, a blood pressure cuff was tightly wrapped around one of his hind legs while another tech took his vital signs (temperature, pulse and respiration) and yet another attached electrodes to monitor his heartbeat (EKG). As a panicked spectator, I watched an ultrasound probe search his abdomen looking for a life threatening internal hemorrhage. “Oh no, I can’t lose my sweet beloved dog,”  was all I could think but not dare say out loud.

Mercifully, within minutes, my worst fears were replaced with hope: lab results and the ultrasound revealed no blood loss or damage to internal organs. After an intense 30 minutes, Braddy began responding well to the rapid fluid infusion (to bring up his blood pressure) and a warming blanket to bring up his low body temp. Now I was the one that needed medical attention for the surge of adrenalin that was still spiking my B.P. and racing my pulse. Over the next three hours he (and I) stabilized – I thankfully took him home and praised the attentive staff for the excellent care he received.

On Monday, Brad Pit is reunited with his duck – they are inseparable!

A full 24 hours later while recuperating at home with his personal physician on call (and mom on duty), Braddy was back playing with his squeaky stuffed duck and it was music (no longer noise) to my ears…It was like my three hour nightmare never happened. But it did. Let that be your wake-up call.

Obviously you know why I am sharing the events of last Sunday with you. Last week, I became that one second statistic: Every second a pet owner is faced with a $1000 vet bill. Emergencies happen. Illness happens. You must protect your pet and yourself if and when medical costs exceed what you can afford. Insurance is no longer an option when your pet’s health and safety is at risk. I never thought I would be spending a Sunday afternoon in the ER with a healthy dog that was happy and playful that same morning!

Now – as promised – our insurance review is complete and confidently endorses Petplan. If you have not read the comments left by readers on our pet insurance review – please take a few minutes to do so as you may share some of the questions asked – see our answers.

Note: the first claim I submitted to Petplan 6 weeks ago (exam and lab work for another mysterious case when Brad Pit went off his food, feeling punk and then rebounding the next day without treatment) has been paid without question or hassle.    I received an apology for the reimbursement taking longer than the normal waiting period of 3-4 weeks because of the holidays. My advice is to keep one credit card with a limit of at least $5,000 in a safe place (not your wallet!) in case of pet emergencies. Submit your claim immediately and most likely your reimbursement check will arrive before the payment due date!

If Petplan is your pick too, please use this referral code when you enroll ANP5000263-00 and $25 dollars will be automatically donated to our Homeless Pet Sponsorship Program. And if you are looking to adopt a great dog, please come by and visit our fosters: Roni, Barney and Freeway. We want to see these sweeties celebrate Valentine’s Day in their new homes with someone special to love them…

We hope you will share this important information about pet insurance and our adoption program with your friends, co-workers and loved ones.

Someone will thank you (or lick you) for spreading the word and so will we!

Janet with her dog Cookie, enjoying a hike.

I jumped in first, enrolling my pit bull mix-up, Brad Pit, with Petplan; Janet – our indispensable hospital manager and long time licensed veterinary tech –  signed up her dog Cookie with Embrace; Inez, our sweetheart groomer, purchased Pets Best for her newly adopted dog, Tigre. Yep, the same dog we were fostering – they had a 3 month love affair going on right under our noses!

My hat and stethoscope is off to Janet, who painstakingly studied each contract and directed my attention toward problematic areas. What follows is everything we learned and what you need to know before you enter the mind boggling world of pet insurance. We have done a lot of necessary homework and now it is your turn to compare, ask questions, and take action!

It is our greatest hope to see all our patients protected by a good pet insurance policy in the New Year. As I stressed in an earlier post, pet insurance is no longer an option – it’s a necessity if you want to make sure your pet receives state of the art medical care without maxing out your credit cards!

We want 2010 to be the year of affordable veterinary care. As a responsible pet parent, I challenge you to work an additional $25 to $35 into the monthly budget. So, if you become the unlucky pet owner faced with a $1,000 vet bill (happens every six seconds in the U.S.) don’t worry – just get your pen ready (or go on-line) and fill out your claim form!

Let’s begin…

First off is my humble apology. For the past twenty years that I have been in practice, I have largely ignored pet insurance. Why? Unfortunately, my first experience with pet insurance was a bad one and I formed a rather negative view. It was the late 80s and pet insurance was the new kid on the block. Clients complained that company X (a start-up in California) was paying less on claims than expected and taking months to reimburse them. On my clients’ behalf, I started wrestling with the insurance company for higher payouts because no one could understand their complicated benefit schedule. Fast forward to 2009… the pet insurance neighborhood has wisely matured and veterinary medicine has made remarkable advancements in its technology and treatments, which many pet parents can ill afford to take advantage of.

Now for the $2,900 question: Why would a veterinarian buy pet insurance for her own pet? Answer: In the last four years, my dog Rosie (yes, it’s true – purebreds have more problems than mutts ) has needed an MRI to diagnose an infection in her spine, eye surgery by an ophthalmologist, and most recently, an urgent visit to Advanced Critical Care and Internal Medicine (ACCIM) in Tustin on a weekend to find out why she had stopped eating.

First the good news: bad tummy ache or in medical jargon, acute gastroenteritis, and Rosie is feeling much better. Now the bad news: a routine abdominal ultrasound revealed that Rosie has a tumor on one of her adrenal glands, presumed to be malignant. Making matters worse, I did not have insurance to defray costs incurred over the last four years – nearly $3,000, and that was with generous professional discounts! Don’t worry – Rosie will get the care she needs, but that vacation I wanted to take went off to dreamland. Lesson learned the hard way, which is apparently how I learn most things.

OK now…this is going to be a long read, so be prepared to take your time, a needed potty break, or go grab a cup of Joe. Just be sure to read it ALL and leave us your thoughts or any questions in the comment section here on the blog. We always appreciate reading your comments – thanks.

We found that the major difference between the top three pet insurance companies we reviewed was how they paid on chronic ongoing conditions.

• Dollar limits per condition: Pays out a specified maximum amount covered for each diagnosed condition. Once the maximum amount has been paid out the condition will no longer be covered. This type of policy can provide a good compromise for those unable to purchase comprehensive protection offered by lifelong polices.
• Time limits per condition: Ongoing illnesses are classified as pre-existing whenever the policy renews. The condition may still be covered but the reimbursement amount is reduced. Presumed to be a better option than dollar limits.
• Lifelong: Provides the most comprehensive protection for you and your pet – full coverage for both short term and long term illnesses. Pays out the maximum dollar amount on the policy purchased and that amount will be reset each year on renewal. With Lifelong coverage, any ailment your pet is diagnosed with will receive treatment indefinitely as long as you continue to renew your policy each year.

So what’s not automatically covered?

Some common exclusions to look out for:

Pre-existing conditions – It is standard for pet insurance companies to deny coverage for the treatment of pre-existing conditions. Having said that, it’s always best to disclose any problems your pet has upfront, as future claims may be invalidated if you’re found not to be completely honest. Founders warns: apply for pet insurance as soon as you adopt. Puppies and kittens are most likely not to have any pre-existing conditions – hence you never need to worry if a claim will be paid!

Note: There is a mandatory waiting period (usually 14 days) from the time you enroll until your coverage begins. Also, all previous medical records will be reviewed in an attempt to prevent fraudulent claims submitted for pre-existing conditions. No cheating allowed!

Hereditary or congenital conditions – There is a lot of wiggle room here. Some companies will cover these conditions as long as they were not discovered prior to the purchase of your policy and therefore treated as pre-existing. Founders warns: read the fine print!

Routine checkups – Some pet insurance policies will cover an allocated amount for routine pet care. Those companies that do offer coverage for routine health care costs (vaccinations, parasite control, spay/neuter, dental cleanings, annual check-ups) seemingly do not pay out well for unexpected medical costs. Founders warns: avoid the temptation to buy routine coverage. Instead, budget for the known costs of basic pet care and buy polices that will afford you comprehensive coverage for the unexpected illness or life threatening emergency. 

The ‘devil is in the details’ – read carefully and familiarize yourself with these terms:

Age restrictions: Eligibility for enrollment is based on age of your pet. Breed can also affect age limits. For example: a new policy may specify full coverage for mixed breed dogs up to age 8 years; purebred dogs up to age 6 years; cats up to age 10 years.

Pets Best states no age restrictions.

A representative at Petplan told us the age limit may be lifted in 2010.

Pets that are too old for full coverage may be eligible for accident type coverage.

Select breeds: The following breeds (some we’ve never heard of!) could face policy restrictions, age limits, or higher insurance rates:

Aidi, Akbash Dog, Appenzeller Sennenhund , Argentine Dogo / Dogo Argentino, Beauceron, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Bloodhound, Boerboel, Bulldog (all Bulldog breeds), Bull Terrier, Ca de Bou / Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Canary Dog /Presa Canario, Cane Corso , Cão de Fila de São Miguel, Chinese Chongqing Dog, Clumber Spaniel, Coonhound , Deerhound /Scottish Deerhound, Doberman Pinscher, Dogue de Bordeaux /French Mastiff, Dutch Sheepdog / Schapendoes, Entlebucher Sennenhund, Fila Brasileiro /Brazilian Fila , Gran Mastin de Borinquen, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees / Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Griffon Brabancon, Irish Wolfhound, Kangal Dog, Landseer, Leonberger, Maremma Sheepdog, Mastiff (all Mastiff breeds), Mioritic Sheepdog, Newfoundland, Ovtcharka, Rottweiler, Scottish Terrier (Scottie), Saint Bernard, Shar-Pei, Staghound , Tibetan KyiApso, Thai Ridgeback, Tosa Inu.

These breeds display a higher degree of severity of disease and as such different terms and conditions may apply.

Pre-existing condition: Refers to a condition, injury or illness that was present – or which manifested itself – prior to the effective date of the policy. Coverage for any pre-existing condition was excluded under all the policies we reviewed.

It’s best to contact the insurance company prior to purchasing a policy if you’re not sure your pet has a pre-existing condition. For example, with Embrace, if your dog tore her right cruciate ligament (a common knee problem which requires surgical repair) before you bought your policy and later ruptures her left cruciate ligament – the new left cruciate tear is considered a pre-existing condition and will not be covered. Insurance business can be tricky stuff!

Per Incident limit: Refers to the maximum amount that will be paid for a single incident. Some companies will have a per-incident limit for the lifetime of the policy (as long as your pet lives) referred to as a lifetime limit. Companies may offer a range of lifetime limits to choose from. Pets Best offers lifetime limits ranging from $42,500 to $100,000 with corresponding per-incident limits from $2,500 to $14,000. For example, if you choose Pets Best Basic Plan with a lifetime limit of $42,500, there is a corresponding per-incident limit of $2,500. If your pet becomes ill with diabetes, then the maximum available reimbursement for any diabetes treatment would be $2,500 for the remaining life of your pet. RED FLAG: When treating chronic conditions, this could result in a total lack of coverage whether or not you renew your policy with Pets Best. Remember, pre-existing problems will not be covered if you later change insurance carriers.

Other companies, such as Petplan and Embrace, have no per-incident limits and will reimburse for a single incident up to the maximum annual policy benefit. For example, if you had Petplan’s Gold plan with a $20,000 maximum annual policy benefit, then you could be reimbursed up to $20,000 for a single incident. However, if you max out coverage for your policy year – no further coverage can be provided until your policy renews.

Benefit schedule: Insurers can use an itemized list of reimbursement amounts for specific medical diagnoses and treatments. This makes it very difficult to know what amount of any claim will be reimbursed and what amount you will pay out of pocket (remember company X!). Petplan, Embrace and Pets Best do not use a benefit schedule; instead, they reimburse you up to the limit of your policy. This has been a major improvement, leaving inferior insurance companies in the dust!

Chronic Conditions: Any condition that is likely to reappear and/or is not likely to be cured, such as allergies, some gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and so on.

Embrace offers restricted continuing care for chronic conditions that last more than one policy term. Its maximum reimbursement you can receive in any given year for chronic conditions is 25% of your policy maximum. For example, your cat is just diagnosed with kidney disease. If you choose a policy with a $2,000 annual limit (too low in my opinion – I would recommend at least $10,000 of coverage) a full $2,000 could be applied to treat the kidney disease. RED FLAG: However, when your policy renews in the second year, your cat now has a chronic condition and coverage for her kidney disease will only amount to 25% of your annual limit. So, with a $2,000 policy, only $500 will be reimbursed for care and treatment in all subsequent years. The remaining $1,500 is available for all new conditions, which again will be considered chronic in the following year.

Pets Best will cover up to the per-incident limit for the lifetime of the policy – so there is a cut off point on coverage. If your per-incident limit is $2,500, you can expect a total payout for the care and treatment of kidney disease not to exceed this limit over your pet’s lifetime. Also, with their lifetime $42,500 policy – you now have $40,000 worth of coverage when you renew your policy. Contrast lifetime limits with lifelong coverage – which do you want?

Only Petplan offers full lifelong coverage – any chronic condition the pet develops will be covered for the life of the pet so long as the policy is renewed annually and it will be renewed back to the full amount the of policy limit.

Congenital condition: Any condition or disorder that is present at birth or is recognized anytime after birth. Congenital disorders can be a result of genetic abnormalities or occur during fetal development. When discussing congenital, hereditary, and genetic conditions it becomes confusing when comparing different companies. For example, Pets Best lists patellar luxation (knee cap displacement) as a congenital condition which is therefore excluded from coverage. However; Embrace lists patellar luxation as a breed-specific condition (hereditary or genetic defect) which is covered as long as it’s not pre-existing. If you are paying attention you have just blurted out loud; “How can a problem be considered genetic (born with it) and not also be considered pre-existing at the same time?” Well, if the problem was never noted in your pet’s medical record prior to the effective date on your policy – it did not exist! Fortunately for your pocketbook, your vet failed to discover the problem on physical exam or the problem had not yet started to show any symptoms. Petplan also covers congenital conditions as long as they are not discovered as pre-existing conditions.

Hereditary condition: Refers to a condition, defect or disease, which was transmitted to the pet genetically from its parent(s). The condition, defect or disease may not be manifested until later in life. Some common examples are orthopedic problems such as Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Osteochondritis Dissecans, and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease; an eye disease leading to blindness called Progressive Retinal Atrophy; a blood disease called Von Willebrand disease; and Cryptorchidism – failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum. Pets Best does offer coverage for what it considers to be hereditary conditions, but coverage is limited and the pet must have been enrolled before their 2^nd birthday. Both Petplan and Embrace cover hereditary conditions as long as they aren’t pre-existing. Note: it is unlikely that the hereditary condition, Crytorchidism, would qualify for coverage, as it can be detected by veterinary exam as early as eight weeks of age, making it a pre-existing condition.

Be aware that the incidence for hereditary problems occurs far more often in purebreds than the good old fashion mongrel. Purebreds demand higher premiums and earlier age enrollment, making mutts a more affordable option.   Save your money and save a life – Adopt!

Select your own veterinarian. Be aware that some companies require you to select a veterinarian from a network. Founders is not part of any such network and we feel strongly that everyone should be able to choose their own docs!

Annual check-up by veterinarian: Preventive health care measures such as annual exams and laboratory testing may be required to maintain your coverage. Petplan requires an annual health check, dental exam and any treatment normally recommended by the vet to prevent illness such as an annual heartworm test and preventative medication if indicated. For renewal of older pets*, an exam, blood test and urinalysis two months prior to the date of renewal is required. Embrace only requires an annual check-up performed by a veterinarian. Pets Best does not require annual check-ups. Personally, we don’t understand Pets Best position.

*Dogs 8 years or older OR 5 years and older if a select breed; cats 10 years or older.

Emergency and Specialist care: Emergency visits and care provided by specialists such as orthopedic surgeons, oncologists, ophthalmologists and internal medicine doctors should be included in any policy you purchase, or pass on it! Companies may vary their rates on co-pays for this type of coverage or have some restrictions. Please inquire before you purchase your policy.

Alternative care: considered as acupuncture, hydrotherapy and chiropractic. Will only cover alternative treatments when administered by a licensed veterinarian. Policies that cover alternative care may or may not cover equipment purchase or rental. We recommend you get a pre-certification before treatment so you know if it will be covered and how much will be reimbursed.

Dental care: (excludes routine dental cleaning) Basic policies with Pets Best and Embrace* will cover orthodontic care such as tooth extractions only if caused by accident or injury like a hit by car. Therefore, a company may or may not consider a broken tooth due to chewing on something hard as an accident or injury. Petplan will cover orthodontic care such as a tooth extraction for any reason deemed necessary by your veterinarian.

*Embrace does have the option to add a Drug & Dental plan at extra cost which would treat dental problems and extractions due to other reasons besides accident injuries.

Cancer treatment: includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Years in business: Petplan was founded over 30 years ago in the United Kingdom and was launched in the U.S.A. in 2006. Pets Best and Embrace are newer companies in operation since 2005.

Licensed in the State of California: An insurer may or may not be licensed within the state it operates. If it is not, the insurer cannot participate in the insurance guarantee funds created by California law. Therefore, if the insurer becomes insolvent and is unable to make payment to you as promised, these guaranteed funds will not pay your claims.

Embrace is issued by an insurer that is not licensed by the state of California. Both Petplan and Pets Best are licensed by the state of California.

For quick, easy comparisons, see the chart below:

* indicates advantage compared to other company(s)

Additional Considerations

Ask if prescribed medications are covered under the policy you are considering. For example, Embrace will only cover take home medications if you purchase their Drug & Dental plan.

You should check and see if a pre-authorization is needed for treatment that may lead to substantial veterinary fees or if pre-certification is needed for certain types of procedures such as MRI or CT scan.

If your pet is diagnosed with a condition that could lead to other medical problems – such as hyperthyroidism – your policy may not cover kidney, heart and high blood pressure problems if hyperthyroidism is considered to be a pre-existing condition. This gets complicated, but it’s a good question to amuse policy writers and expose less scrupulous insurance carriers!

Understand the policy you are purchasing. For example, Petplan offers benefits for boarding and kennel fees (for an additional cost) under their Silver and Gold plans. However, these fees are reimbursed at reasonable costs up to the maximum annual benefit only if  you are in the hospital as a result of sickness, disease, or bodily injury – not when you’re away singing: It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

And lastly, here are some important points to consider. Classic pet health insurance is intended to protect you from expensive unexpected pet illness and injuries. Don’t purchase it hoping to get your money back – do you buy car insurance and hope to get into an accident so your insurance company can foot the bill? Of course not! If your pet did not become seriously ill or injured in any policy year – be happy and know that someone else was not so lucky. Also, realize that providing good health insurance coverage would not be possible without a sizeable number of loyal policy holders making a large pool of funds available.

So, the payment you make next month might just help pay for the $5,000 medical bill for the naughty pup that ate his owner’s underwear and requires emergency surgery with post-op care in ICU for a life threatening intestinal obstruction. Be glad it wasn’t your pup and rest assured that if the worse happens, you too won’t bear the financial burden – in addition to a sleepless night.

As a safety net, the pet insurance industry has evolved over time to meet the needs of worried pet owners afraid that they might not be able to afford costly medical care or surgery. More often than not, we witness the difficult financial struggle our devoted clients must undertake in order to follow our best care recommendations. We hate to watch you fret when you mention that you have kids in college, the car needs repair, or there has been a job loss in the family.

No pet lover should ever have to say no to treatment that could be life saving or prevent needless suffering. The cost of monthly pet insurance could be as little as two movie tickets and a heaping bag overflowing with popcorn! Skip the pricy movie theater to watch a home movie snuggled up with your favorite hunk of fur and pop your own corn for pennies. We know your pet is worth that small sacrifice and so much more!

PS: watch for our next post when we disclose our # 1 pick for pet health insurance and how you can automatically donate to our Pet Sponsorship Program just by entering a referral code when you enroll!

Stay tuned, stay healthy…and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Debbie and Tigre

Hi, I’m Debbie Tamayo. This is my first time blogging — which proves you can ‘teach an old dog new tricks” … which is the topic of this post.

First a little about me: I have worked in the veterinary profession as a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) with over 10 years of experience and a lifetime of loving animals. Founders has stood out as a wonderful place to work because Dr. Terifaj has not only established a great clinic, but also found it in her heart to embrace the animal rescue world. Working with rescue groups is especially close to my heart, and I realized this recently when someone asked me: “What would you do if you won the lottery?”  There was no doubt in my mind when I responded: Open an animal sanctuary and hospice care center to prevent unwanted pets from suffering at the hands of a society that too easily abandons the sick and the elderly.

It seems older dogs are mostly overlooked when it comes to adoption. Too many people believe they need to add a brand spanking new puppy to their canine family — much like it’s a new baby. But those folks overlook the joys of adopting mature dogs. Dogs that don’t want to chew up your favorite shoes or jump up, knocking over your friends the minute they walk through the door … and best of all they don’t need toilet training!

Older dogs are usually recycled pets — meaning at one time they had a family. For any number of reasons, their family gave them up. I have seen dogs not want to eat for days in unfamiliar surroundings — confused and frightened missing their home and family. Fallout from the staggering loss of jobs and home foreclosures during this economic hurricane has put thousands of pets at risk — they also lost the roof over their heads and the security a paycheck brings. They cannot weather this financial thunderstorm alone.

In May of this year, Founders established the Pet Sponsorship Program, working with the non-profit rescue group, Pugs to Pits. Some of you have become Pet Sponsors, sending us monthly donations to help with the care of the dogs and cats we are fostering at the clinic. Since the inception of this innovative program — veterinary staff teaming up with a pet rescue group — we have helped to place almost a dozen cats and dogs in the last 5 months with your help! Some of you have visited to play with a cat or walk a dog. Some help to pass out our adoption flyers and others send much needed donations. We knew we could answer this urgent call to help homeless pets because we know YOU, our wonderful clients — generous and committed to your pet’s health and safety. You understand the special bond we all share as animal lovers…

Now we need some extra help to find a forever home for Tigre. This older gentle soul is estimated to be around 5 years. Unfortunately, his white muzzle gives him the appearance of a much older dog — but don’t be fooled. He is a well behaved walking dog with no end to the walk! He is friendly with other dogs, cats, and kids and could adapt to any live-in situation as long as he is promised a place in your heart forever and maybe a warm spot to sleep beside your bed.

So, if you or someone you know is ready to open your heart and home to a recycled dog in good useable condition, please come by and visit Tigre…

And all of us at Founders will make you this 100% smile back guarantee: This noble gentleman of a dog with his soft brown eyes and silky tiger stripe coat will chase your blues away or you get a full no questions asked refund.

PS:  Please use the ShareThis button below to forward this post to your friends and family. Tigre says thanks!

A note from Dr. Terifaj — please recognize and share these sad statistics with others:

• 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the U.S.
• Between 4 million to 6 million dogs and cats in shelters are destroyed every year simply because they are homeless = 11,000 to 16,000 pets per day.
• An unwanted shelter animal is killed every 1.5 seconds!