Owners of listed buildings should and listed building insurance policyholders should be be extra vigilant following a spate of Thefts involving metal roofing materials in the UK. During the last few months, there has been a significant increase in the demand for metals, mainly from the developing Far East economies. Such is the demand, many metals are now in short supply and thieves have taken to stripping lead flashing from roof tops as they are aware there is a strong market to supply this metal. Police forces are pointing out that with lead prices around £900 per ton; it is likely that Thefts are going to continue.

Assetsure have received claims for stolen lead from a domestic dwelling house but it is sad to report that metal has also been stolen from churches as well as schools and public buildings. One policyholder reported that his local police force advised him that even the metal drain pipes from the church had been stolen and new incidents were being reported almost every day. This is a great shame as often the stolen metal is unique and irreplaceable, owners of listed buildings and anyone interested in preserving our heritage will want to help ensure that these incidents are kept to a minimum.

The police are warning that if your house is targeted by thieves then there is every possibility that they will come again particularly if they found access to your roof to be easy or you live in a secluded area.

Talking to your neighbours may well help you to avert claims particularly if you live in a small community. Anyone involved in stealing lead from the roof of a listed building is going to be highly visible, in all probability they will also have a van to enable them to carry the lead away. Speak to your neighbours and advise them that if anything suspicious is seen, they should telephone the police immediately. Making notes of registration numbers or any identifying marks on vehicles will be a major help to the police. The majority of these thefts are occurring in broad daylight. Not many thieves are keen to venture on to a roof at nigh time and in any case, lightning would have to be used and this would make them easy to spot. Apart from keeping any eye out for suspicious activity, if you want to take extra precautions against this crime you could consider fitting security lights at your premises. These will come on when anyone approaches the vicinity of your home and may well deter anyone from climbing on your roof. Having good general security is also of paramount importance; however, it is unlikely that a thief that has come prepared to steal lead off your roof will try to enter the home.

Assetsure have conducted some research on the internet and it appears that this crime is not unique to one area, in fact whereas most Thefts occur in city areas, these occurrences seem to be happing more in rural areas, and reports are being received from all over the United Kingdom. In particular during the summer holidays with schools being shut, it seems that many are now reopening minus lead from the rooftops.

If you see anything suspicious, please report it to your local police station or you can call crime stoppers on 0800 555 111

Currently there are two types of pet insurance plans, each insurance plan is geared towards a specific need of the pet owner, the animal and the financial capacity of the owner.

A full breed dog might need more medical attention than another breed, especially at an older age and with the annual check up and injections. Pet medical insurance plans can provide several different insurance options and will ensure you will be able to provide the best medical care for your pet, for a monthly fee.

The two major USA pet insurance plans that are called the Superior VPI and the Standard VPI plan, both plans you can take your animal or pet to any veterinarian in any part of the world. Remember to keep the original bill and send it off to the insurance company, then the costs occurred will be repaid.

The Differences Between Pet Insurance Plans

There are some differences with the types of pet insurance plans as follows

1. The VPI Superior Insurance Plan.

This pet insurance plan offers coverage for any medical costs that you might have to pay for during the life of your pet such as annual check ups, vets visits, prescription medication, diagnostic testing and lab tests and X-rays. Basically, the insurance will repay anything that your vet might find necessary to keep your pet healthy. This insurance is available for both cats and dogs and will cost approx. $200 on an annual basis.

2. The VPI Standard Plan

The standard Pet insurance plan will covers all the basic procedures and costs for your pet, but you are expected to pay a higher portion of the amount of money yourself for every treatment that you can claim though your pet insurance.

Who Should Opt For These Pet Insurance Plans?

Any animal loving responsible pet owner should at least consider taking out a pet insurance plan for their cat or dog. og owners will be more interested in these type of plans as dogs are expectted to run up costs due to medical problems and need more visits to the vet during their life.

Reasons why you might need a pet insurance plan:

1. You don’t have to worry about not being able to pay the high medical bills that your pet could incur when it falls ill or has an accident.

2. You pay in monthly small amounts instead of a huge sum in one go, great for budgeting.

3. There is no need to worry if you leave your animal in the care of someone else when you go on holiday as they can take the pet to the vet and the bills will be covered still.

4. Owners of full breed dogs that see their dogs as an investment should consider insuring their animal as full breed dogs usually will need more trips to the vet.

As veterinary treatment becomes increasingly expensive, pet owners are finally coming around to the idea of acquiring pet insurance for their animals. Regularly in the not too distant past, owners were often finding themselves in heartbreaking situations where their beloved pet needed life saving treatment or surgery but the funds needed for these were just not available. More often than not, economic euthanasia was the only option distraught pet owners could take. But the widespread and easily accessed availability of pet insurance today is happily leading to a decline to such horrible situations.

Although pet health insurance has been around for a number of years, it still surprises quite a few people that such a type of insurance policy cover for animals existed. But in today’s environment of escalating costs in both care and treatment for our furry friends, it makes perfect economic sense to avail of pet insurance cover.

Just as we would look around for the best type of insurance for ourselves and our family’s, the same course of action should be taken when searching for different types of pet insurance cover that are available for your pet. A comparison of the different types of cover and premiums insurance companies offer is vitally important and enables you to obtain the best possible cover you are comfortable with, at a premium that suits your individual budgetary needs.

The ideal way of making comparisons between the various insurance companies that are out there today, would be to go on-line. All insurance companies have websites and most offer the capability of acquiring quotes on-line. This procedure of acquiring on-line quotes also gives you, the customer, the ability to input various criteria into their system to see which results best meets your needs, both cover-wise and financially. There are even some independent websites on-line that enable you to compare different insurance company’s cover plans and quotes simply by listing results in an easy to read table- enabling you to make a comparison of the many different cover plans available, on one site.

There is a huge array of cover and options available for pet owners to choose from. Premier cover, for example, while obviously being the most expensive, offers the best coverage. Preventative treatments, wellness and veterinary care for illness and emergency are all normally covered in a premium policy, as well as long term treatment for ongoing illnesses or conditions of disease.

When performing a pet insurance comparison, some other factors you may want to consider are: does the plan cover kennel or cattery fees, would you have to use a specific veterinarian, will the policy cover pet travelling (moving home, holiday’s, etc), would it cover boarding fees were you yourself to become ill and not be able to take care of your pet? These are just a few of the options you could and should consider before purchasing pet insurance cover.

When deciding which cover is best for your needs, a few options are available that could help you reduce the cost of the premiums on your policy. Choosing a higher deductible is one method of doing this, or you could choose a policy that offers a co-payment option. Certain companies may also offer discounts for quarterly or annually paid premiums as opposed to monthly payment instalments. As most pet insurance companies offer a variety of plans, ultimately you should be able to find the coverage that best suits you and your pets needs and still manage to stay within the constraints of your budget.

At present, most of the pet owners are securing their pet’s life with pet insurance policies. Since every pet faces injuries and other health hazards, these policies enable their owners to provide them with the best healthcare benefits in every situation. In fact, these policies are effectively helping pet owners in arranging best medical facilities whenever their pets are injured or ill. These policies are offering suitable financial back-up to all pet owners so that they may never need to worry about arrangement of finance during illness or injury of their pet. However, these policies charge a fixed amount of premium every month but they cover every veterinary expense form the very first day of buying the policy. Basically, veterinary pet insurance policies are the best way to deal with monstrous expenses of your pet’s treatment, as these policies offer maximum medical benefits. Therefore, if you are a pet owner and worried about the ever-increasing medical expenses of your pet, then throw your all worries aside, as these policies are there to lighten your financial burden. With these policies you can be rest assured that you will never have to disturb your budget for your pet’s expensive treatment.

Veterinary pet insurance covers a wide range of long and short term treatments of your pet, so that your pet’s healthcare needs may met with the most advanced veterinary treatments and procedure available. If you really plan for your pet’s long term health with annual wellness examinations and vaccination, then these policies can help you in preceding your plan without any financial obstacle. In fact, with the help of veterinary pet insurance you can perfectly mange your veterinary expenses, as these policies reimburse all your eligible expenses for accidents, illness and routine preventive care. Moreover, these policies also cover clinic visits, lab fees, X-rays, surgeries, prescriptions and hospitalization expenses of insured pet.

Always get a policy that is well suited to the requirements of your pet; for making highly beneficial selection, you can go for major healthcare plans, as these plans cover A to Z healthcare and hygiene expenses of the insured pet. For people, who are seeking superior insurance plans for their pets, there are many high valued veterinary pet insurance policies available in the marketplace. Such policies are perfect for pets, who are suffering from any long term disease like diabetes. For long term diseases, these policies offer special lifetime coverage facility, so that all minor and routine check-up expenses may also get covered.

Since pets are also the members of your family, it becomes your responsibility to maintain their quality of life. In fact, with veterinary pet insurance you can improve their quality of life by providing them with every possible care. Usually, these insurance plans use a benefit procedure which is associated with the department of insurance therefore, the pet owner can be rest assured about authenticity of these insurance policies. Therefore, simply contact a licensed clinic, pay for the treatment and file a claim for reimbursement. Once your claim is approved your medical expenses will be reimbursed within one week.

How likely are you to need pet insurance? According to one provider of a popular pet insurance plan, over one-third of policy holders end up claiming on their policy at least once. And pet insurance isn’t necessarily an indulgence for owners who’ll pay anything to keep their pets healthy, say industry spokesmen. According to the latest figures, a good pet insurance policy can shield you from hefty vet fees if your pet requires medical care.

- £2500 for hip replacement for a typical dog

- £1,200 to set bones and care for a cat injured by a car

A good pet insurance policy will cover expenses in a number of different types of situations.

- Property damage by your pet

If rover gets loose and uproots the neighbor’s prize petunias, don’t despair. If your home insurance policy doesn’t cover the cost of replacement (some policies do), your pet insurance should. Some policies will cover damage done to your rented flat by your pet as well.

- Kennel fees if you fall ill

Who’ll take care of your pet if you end up hospitalised for any length of time? Most pet cover will pay for kennel fees or cattery fees to board your pet while you’re in hospital. That’s one less worry for you so you can concentrate on getting well.

- Advertising costs for a lost pet

Most pet insurance policies reimburse you the cost of printing Lost Pet posters and advertising expenses in case your best friends wanders off or is lost.

- Vet bills

The amount that your pet insurance will pay on vet bills varies and can depend upon many factors, and there can be many exclusions. If you own a pet that is prone to congenital conditions, you may find that those are excluded from cover, for instance, as will be most pre-existing conditions.

- Compensation for accidental loss or death of your pet

If your pet is lost or stolen, the policy may pay out a death benefit for burial or disposal, as well as replacement cost for the animal. While nothing compensates you for the loss of that particular pet, it can be an important benefit if your pet was an expensive breed that you’d like to replace eventually.

- Payment for holiday cancellation if your pet becomes ill

You may have travel insurance, but it’s not likely to pay out if you choose to stay home because your cat is ill. Pet insurance, on the other hand, can do exactly that.

How to Save On Pet Insurance

Like vet bills, the cost of pet insurance is rising steadily, but you can still find some excellent bargains. The key to getting value for money from pet insurance is to know what you need and to get it by shopping around. There are currently over 400 different pet policies on offer in the UK, and prices can vary by quite a lot. Shop online at insurance price comparison sites and get quotes from several different providers.

Don’t make the mistake of buying based on the cost of the premiums alone, though. Compare the benefits offered on the different policies to choose the one that’s the best fit for you, your pet and your budget.

If you have just got a pet, you most likely will not know that there are a variety of ways in which you can protect your pet. As your pet grows on you, so will its age and no time is sooner than now to get it a pet insurance.

To get started, let’s get you familiarized with three types of pet insurance:

1) Pet Life Insurance

As veterinary care becomes more and more expensive, it only makes sense that you should get a pet life insurance. Not only will it help you in taking care of hefty medical bills but your pet should be able to live a healthy life because you are able to take it to see the vet for its routine check ups or shots.

In most cases, pet life insurance would also protect your pet from injuries that may affect them and get preventive care under the plan. Some pet life insurance plans will also provide your pet coverage for illnesses after thirty days of taking the plan.

This is how a pet life insurance will work for you. If the pet becomes injured or has fallen sick, all you have to do is to take it to a licensed veterinarian and pay them for their services after which you can submit a claim along with relevant receipts.

However before taking out a pet life insurance policy, you may need to consider a few necessary issues such as:

i) What should be covered by the insurance policy

ii) Different levels of pet insurance

iii) Limits of pet insurance

iv) Whether the plan will cover hereditary condition

v) You should consider the means to pay the premium

vi) You should know if the policy provides third party liability or not

vii) Whether there will be any payment when the pet dies.

You should also get a pet life insurance in the event your pet deliberately injures another pet or a person in which you may have to pay a sum of money for compensation.

There are different types of pet life insurances in which you have to compare prices, consider policy excess, get lifelong cover, and consider all benefits available. You also have to understand the small print to be well informed.

2) Travel Pet Insurance

Travel pet insurance basically put, is going to help you take care of your pet by the same way as a regular insurance, but when you travel. This means that if your pet gets sick or hurt, you will not be able to use your regular pet insurance to take care of your pet but you can use your travel pet insurance.

You can purchase a temporary policy that will give you travel pet insurance. This policy will generally last a number of days or even weeks. During this period of time if your pet gets sick or injured, you are going to be able to take advantage of the policy to pay for your pet’s recovery.

Another type of travel pet insurance provides your pet protection in case you have to ship it some place. This type of travel insurance covers these costs and anything that might go wrong when you have arrived to your destination.

3) Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace pet insurance allows you to customize your pet insurance policy. This means that you can decide on what you want to include or not include in your embrace pet insurance policy.

All of embrace pet insurance policies comes with the basic built-in coverage such as: accidents and illness, genetic conditions, cancer, alternative and complementary therapies, hospitalization, surgery, laboratory and diagnostic testing and drugs administered by your vet.

The basic coverage of the embrace pet insurance policy is quite complete already that even if you do not add in for more services, your pet is being protected enough.

When customizing your embrace pet insurance, you can make it suit your budget and the needs of your pet. You can opt for your policy maximum, the deductible, co-pay and other options that can help you make your policy more suitable for you and your pet.

However it takes the age, health and status of your pet that will determine the parameters on how you can customize your embrace pet insurance policy. For example, if you have a cat and it is relatively young, healthy and stays indoors most of the time, you may be able to take up a policy that will cost you less. You have to evaluate the policy closely and find out where you can save some money.

People normally take out pet insurance to cover the bills for serious vet treatment as this can become extremely expensive. In fact so expensive in some cases that the animal has to be put down as the owners cannot afford the treatments. Pet insurance is there to ensure this doesn’t happen as the insurance company will pay the medical expenses, which leaves you time and energy to help your pet back to good health.

What Is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is an insurance policy that provides cover for your household pets and is usually used for dogs and cats. Most pet insurance will pay for the vet costs if your pet has an accident or is taken ill. Pet insurance can also provide third party cover for any damage your pet cause to other people’s property and cover other expenses such as emergency kenneling costs, theft, travel and even death. Pet insurance also provides you with peace of mind, knowing that your pet will always get the best possible medical treatment available.

On average one in every 3 pets require treatment from a vet each year following injury or illness and more than 50% of the visits to the vet are unplanned due to sudden illness or an accident. Treatment for broken legs, hip treatments, spinal injuries and internal complaints can quickly run into thousands of dollars, especially if medication or x-rays are required. There are also the unforeseen associated costs that may be incurred like holiday cancellations and court costs (you are liable if your dog causes an accident). All of these can add up quickly.

Many pet health insurance companies only cover dogs and cats as a rule. However, there are some companies that also provide cover for other animals such as reptiles, horses, exotic birds and rodents.

What Types Of Pet Insurance Policies Are There?

Generally pet insurance companies provide a variety of policies from the basic through to premium plans that provide cover for every aspect of your pet’s medical care. You need to decide what level of care is right for your pet and then pick a plan that closely matches your requirements. As with other insurance policies, the higher the premium, the more cover that is provided.

It is important to look out for the following main points to see if they are covered in the pet insurance policy:

1. Cover for life or fixed term

2. Vet Fees

3. Death from illness

4. Accidental Damage

5. The policy excess

6. Dental treatment?

7. Third Party Liability & legal expenses

8. Death from accident, theft or straying

9. How much of the vet bills are covered. 70 – 100%

10. Emergency treatments, X-rays, lab fees etc

As with humans, some pet insurance companies require your pet to have a medical exam before any cover is provided. This is so the insurer can manage their risk and keep premiums down as they are not supplying cover for animals that are on deaths door and having to payout on an animal that are known to be dying. The insurance companies will often put a cap on the total amount they will pay on a policy either on any one type of illness or in any given year. If your pet has a pre-existing medical condition, you may struggle to find an insurance company that will provide cover.

The best way to save money on your pet insurance is to shop around and compare prices. Check at least three different insurance companies to compare pricing and terms to ensure you get the best deal.

Once I heard a dog owner comment that our pets were like our children with the only difference that children grow up but our pets will not. I couldn’t agree more with her as I too have four dogs and taking care of my dogs make me realize the truth of her statement each day. As pet owners, some of us may feel that our responsibility towards our pets end once we have arranged for their meals, their annual vaccinations and of course their regular dose of exercise. However, our responsibilities extend much beyond that as we need to provide for our pets every need and requirements that many crop up from time to time. One of the prime areas for concern is the health of our pets since any disease or illness could strike in spite of their regular vaccinations and proper care. A pet insurance; hence, may be a good idea if we are looking at a secured health cover for our pets.

Most reliable companies providing pet insurance have a variety of plans for the pet owner that go beyond the simple health coverage. Also, most of these companies have their own website on which you could get all information you need about pet insurance. It is advisable to go through a number of websites and compare the costs before you arrive at a plan that seems best suited for your pet and your pocket. Often the websites will have an online form where you could simply fill in the basic information about your pet and apply to the company. Soon an executive will get in touch with you to help you with their need assessment and selection of the right insurance plan.

A pet insurance plan provides not just a health cover but also protection against may other unplanned events related to your pets which would have otherwise burned a hole in your pocket. The insurance plan can be selected to cover a variety of diseases, accident coverage and even coverage for incidents like advertisement for a lost pet or third party damages caused by your pet. Many plans would also include the coverage for cancellation of travel plans in case you cannot go on a holiday as your pet is sick. So whatever may be the situation, there is coverage for it.

Now selection of a pet insurance depends greatly on the gender, age, breed and physical and mental condition of your pet. Some insurance companies also provide coverage for your pet even if it has a pre-existing disease. The premiums which you will have to pay on any of the insurance plans, depending on the situations covered, will still be much easier on your pocket as the installments are comparatively much smaller than the cost which you would have to otherwise bear. So even if you have kept aside a planed budget for your beloved pet each month, having a proper insurance plan for the pet would still be a major benefit for both you and your pet.

Pet owners are at serious risk of underestimating the time and expense that having a sick or injured pet can have on their lives as fees for vets are expected to continue to rise by 20 per cent over the next three years.

It has been estimated that 40 per cent of the cost of owning a dog goes towards unexpected vet’s visits and that only 12 per cent of the UK’s 13 million dog owners insure their pets.

According to financial research company Defaqto, pet insurance can be a minefield for owners and its complexity is deterring consumers from taking out cover.

It says, that because different insurers pay claims per year or per condition and place some limits on particular claims, consumers are confused as to which policies are best to take out.

A cat typically lives for 14 to 15 years and its care can cost as much as £9,500 in its lifetime. A dog lives for around 13 years and costs between £500 to £1,000 a year on average.

But, owners who are already paying a small fortune to look after their cat may be reluctant to purchase insurance, especially when annual premiums can be as high as £200 for those living in London.

And while pet insurance can save you a fortune should your cat or dog become seriously ill, it can also be massively restrictive.

Pet insurance should cover vets fees, treatment for long-term conditions, death by illness benefits, death by accident benefits, rewards and expenses for stolen or lost pets, and dental treatment.

But many policies are not as good as they can be. For example, some will allow you to claim for the same condition repeatedly, but there will be a limit on the total amount you can claim for each year.

Others will only allow you to claim once for each condition. Make sure the limit per claim is more than £5,000.

Buying pet insurance is much the same as buying home or motor insurance. You need to check what the excess is – that is the amount you will have to fork out for each claim.

Remember that the cheapest may not necessarily be the best since it may not cover claims likely to arise for your pet’s particular circumstances. The study warns that choosing the cheapest insurance may require the buyer to pay as much as 35 per cent of expensive treatments.

The best policy is one that covers your pet for its lifetime. Contracts renewed annually can exclude any condition experienced the year before and could also exclude your pet when it gets older. Also, some firms will not begin cover until the animal is six or eight weeks old.

In addition to ensuring that vets’ bills don’t send an owner into financial difficulty, pet insurance can provide other useful cover. For example, if a motorist crashes his car into a wall to avoid running over your cat, you could be covered for the expensive repair bill for the car – and the wall.

Also, if your dog attacks the postman and you find yourself in court, many policies offer useful legal advice and cover for legal fees. Legal liability for damage to anyone or their property caused by your pet is actually required by law if your dog is covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Some policies offer to pay for kennels or boarding if you have to go into hospital, which could be a good idea for an elderly person living on their own. A few top-of-the-range schemes will also pay for holiday cancellation if your pet is sick or injured.

Most will pay for costs for advertising and a reward if your animal is lost, to varying degrees. Some will pay the purchase price of your pet if it dies or is stolen.

Pet insurance is to cover you for the unexpected. That means vaccinations, boosters, wormers, nail clipping, spraying and neutering will not be covered.

There is a wide range of pet insurance providers and polices will differ widely. Decide what level of cover you need and what you can afford due to your and your pets circumstances. The excess on your policy can range from £25 to £65.

Keep in mind dogs cost more than cats to insure, and you sometimes pay extra for pedigree pets and bigger dogs. More delicate breeds may cost more to insure with some companies. Premiums may vary according to where you live because vets’ bills tend to be higher in cities especially London.

Some insurers will have a maximum figure they are prepared to pay out in a year, others will pay out a maximum per claim for illness or accident. Think about your cover carefully, it could make a big difference.

Recent studies have shown that over half of all Canadian households have at least one pet; usually either a cat or a dog. However, in North America, less than 1% of all pets are insured. Thus, the question one has to ask is: Why aren’t our beloved pets benefiting from pet medical insurance?

Let’s face it; all pet owners love and cherish their pets. Therefore, just as you would have coverage for you and your family members, why wouldn’t you take out pet medical insurance for your pet? The policy you choose is as important to the maintenance and overall health of your pet as it is to you.

Each year, about one out of every three domestic pets will have an unexpected injury or illness that will require veterinary care. Sometimes, a simple checkup and/or treatment may be required. However, there may be other times when our pets may need expensive tests using additional diagnostic equipment that can also be just as costly.

Prescription drugs for pets are expensive. Since there are no government programs or subsidies in place to provide our furry friends with the care they need, pet insurance provides us with a way to cover these unexpected costs.

As with most insurance companies, the premiums vary. For example, while there are different policies depending on your pet’s breed; some may include annual check-ups and the required vaccinations, while others may include spaying and neutering; and death benefits. Others may just include accident and illness.

Pet medical insurance covers all unexpected health costs for your pet, up to the limit on your policy. On the other hand, with our own health insurance, our government plan covers only our basic care needs.

Due to the fact that pet insurance is kind of a niche insurance market for older pets, it is the kittens and puppies that do not have as much risk of becoming ill as will older pets as they age. But consider that while puppies and kittens may not fall ill as easily as older pets, young pets are just like young children. They lack full coordination and are more likely to experience injuries or get into trouble. So too, younger pets also lack perception and judgment that comes from experience.

While most pet insurance claims arise from costs related to illness, puppies and kittens are more likely to become injured in accidents. Of course, prevention is always important and taking out pet medical insurance while they are still young will afford you peace of mind should any serious illness develop or any accident occur.

If you have an outdoor pet, or pets that spend time inside and outside, it is likely they can come into contact with things that indoor pets may not. This could include traffic, ticks, and exposure to other animals. However, when we think of the unexpected, accidents come to mind first. According to statistics, 75% of pet medical claims are illness related. Indoor pets are not any less vulnerable to illness than outdoor pets. Your Wheezy may still fall ill from a variety of ailments such as allergens in the home, and having pet insurance is the only way to ensure she gets the treatment she needs to fully recover.

For more information on pet medical insurance and the benefits derived thereof, please visit: www.insurance-rates.ca/pet-insurance-rates.html.

You know the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Keep your pet active through exercise as well as a proper diet. Research the breed; the more you know about your pet, the better equipped you will be to prevent any onset of illness or disease. Pet medical insurance is vital to the health and care of your “best friend.”