8 Best Pet Insurance For Rescue Dogs 2024 (2024)

We analyzed 10 policies and found that Pets Best, Embrace and Paw Protect are the three best pet insurance companies for rescue dogs.

Pet insurance for rescue dogs covers major veterinary expenses, like cancer treatments or getting struck by a vehicle. It also covers common problems, like ear infections, allergies and digestive issues. You’ll find that pet insurers offer a variety of benefits and coverage types for all dogs.

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• Summary: Best Pet Insurance for Rescue Dogs
• How Does Pet Insurance for Rescue Dogs Work?
• Why Pet Insurance Is Important for Rescue Dogs
• How Much Does Pet Insurance for Rescue Dogs Cost?
• How To Find the Best Pet Insurance for Rescue Dogs
• Methodology
• Pet Insurance For Rescue Dogs Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Editors’ Take	Company	Company - Logo	Forbes Advisor Rating	Forbes Advisor Rating	Average cost of pet insurance for dogs for unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level
Best overall	Pets Best			5.0	$48
Best for healthy pet discount	Embrace			4.5	$76
Great for superior benefits	Paw Protect			4.5	$77
Great for short waiting period for accident coverage	Figo			4.3	$60
Best for choices of annual coverage	Spot			4.3	$97
Good for boarding fees	Fetch			4.1	$77
Great for unlimited annual coverage	Healthy Paws			4.1	$55
Great prices for dogs and cats	Lemonade			4.1	$52

Best Pet Insurance Companies for Rescue Dogs 2024

Pet insurance works the same for all dogs, whether they were rescued, adopted or purchased from a breeder. Pet insurance pays for veterinary expenses for accidents and illnesses, such as surgery for dog bites or treatment for diabetes. It’s generally reimbursement-based, meaning you’ll pay up front for vet bills and submit a claim for reimbursement.

Related: How Does Pet Insurance Work?

Having pet insurance for a rescue dog can help pay for unexpected and major veterinary bills for accidents and illnesses. It may also include other benefits like access to a 24/7 pet health teleline or coverage for problems like anxiety or aggression. Here are some reasons to consider pet insurance for a rescue dog.

Behavioral Issues

Your rescue dog may have behavioral issues that are caused by neglect, trauma or poor care from their previous owner. This may include anxiety, separation issues, aggression, barking and destructive chewing. Some pet insurers include coverage for behavioral therapy.

Unknown Health Conditions

When you rescue a dog from a shelter, you don’t always know their detailed health history. The dog you rescue might have pre-existing conditions, such as allergies, heart disease or hip dysplasia.

While pet insurance doesn’t typically cover pre-existing conditions, it will cover new health problems that arise after you insure your dog. And if your rescue dog has a curable pre-existing condition, it might be covered after a certain period of time. For example, Embrace is a pet insurance company that covers pre-existing conditions it deems curable (such as an ear infection), as long as any recurrence is at least 12 months from the date of the last incident.

Potential Genetic Predispositions

Certain dog breeds are genetically predisposed to specific health issues. However, you don’t always know the exact breed of a rescue dog without doing genetic testing. Having pet insurance for rescue dogs can help cover the cost of veterinary treatment if your dog starts showing symptoms of a genetic condition after you insure them.

Pet insurance costs an average of $51 per month for a dog, according to our analysis of pet insurance costs. That’s for a policy with $5,000 of annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level. A policy with unlimited annual coverage, a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement level costs an average of $77 per month for a dog.

It’s worth noting that there is no cost difference between a rescue dog or a dog purchased from a breeder. Pet insurance companies use cost factors such as the age of your dog, breed and your location to set costs. Rescuing a dog is not a pet insurance cost factor.

Pet Insurance Cost Comparison by Company

Company	Company - Logo	Average monthly cost for a rescue dog	Learn More CTA text	Learn more CTA below text	Learn more
Pets Best		$48	Compare Plans
Embrace		$76	Compare Plans
Paw Protect		$77	Compare Plans
Fetch		$77	Compare Plans
Figo		$60	Compare Plans
Healthy Paws		$55	Compare Plans
Lemonade		$52	Compare Plans
Spot		$97	Compare Plans

Costs are based on a plan with unlimited annual coverage ($15,000 for Fetch and $100,000 for Lemonade), a $250 deductible ($300 for Fetch and $750 for dogs and cats over age seven in several states for Healthy Paws) and 80% reimbursement level for mixed breed dogs.

We found the most effective way to identify the best pet insurance for rescue dogs is to review the types of plans available and their key benefits. While cost is important, you don’t want to go with an insurer that’s lacking in benefits or coverage types that you need. Here’s what we recommend you look for:

Plan Type

Pet insurance can generally be broken down into these types of plans:

• Accident and illness coverage. This is the most common type of pet insurance and covers the widest range of problems, like cancer, broken bones, allergies and swallowed foreign objects.
• Accident-only coverage. If you want emergency pet insurance, an accident-only plan covers problems like bite wounds and getting struck by a vehicle. But it won’t cover illness-related vet expenses.
• Pet wellness coverage. A pet insurance wellness plan for routine care is an optional plan that covers vet expenses like wellness exams, vaccinations, and flea and tick prevention.
• Comprehensive coverage. This typically refers to an accident and illness plan that includes a wellness plan. It’s sometimes referred to as “nose to tail” coverage.

Coverage Level

Pet insurance plans for rescue dogs will typically offer a range of annual maximums, deductibles and reimbursement levels to choose from. We would prioritize choosing coverage levels you’re comfortable with rather than focusing on price alone.

• Annual maximum coverage: You’ll usually have a choice of an annual maximum payout level. This is the cap on how much the pet insurance plan will pay for the year. Many pet insurance plans offer choices between $5,000 and unlimited annual coverage.
• Deductible: The deductible is the amount you’ll have to pay before your coverage kicks in. Pet insurance deductibles typically range between $100 and $1,000. The lower your deductible, the more you’ll pay for pet insurance because your insurer will pay more if you file a claim.
• Reimbursement percentage: The reimbursement percentage is the amount your insurer will pay for claims covered by your policy. Common reimbursement levels are 70%, 80% and 90%.

Waiting Periods

Every pet insurance company has a waiting period, which is the specified amount of time before your coverage kicks in. There are generally three types of waiting periods:

• Accident waiting period: This typically ranges between one to 14 days.
• Illness waiting period: The average illness waiting period is 14 days.
• Extended waiting period: This waiting period applies to specified conditions, like cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. The extended waiting period can range from six to 12 months. Not all insurers have an extended waiting period.

Pet Insurance Discounts

We recommend looking for pet insurance discounts when you’re shopping for a plan. Here’s a roundup of some pet insurance discounts you can find.

• Multipet discount. Many insurers offer a discount if you insure more than one pet.
• Spay/neuter discount. Some insurers offer discounts to pet owners who have their pet spayed or neutered.
• Annual pay discount. You can often reduce costs if you pay your annual premium in one lump sum.
• Military discount. Some insurers offer discounts for military members and veterans.
• Group discount at work. Some employers offer pet insurance as a voluntary benefit, which could get you a 5% to 10% discount.
• Bundle discount. You may be eligible for a discount if you bundle a pet insurance plan with another insurance type. For example, you can get up to a 10% discount when you bundle Lemonade pet insurance with a Lemonade renters or homeowners insurance policy.

Other Pet Insurance Comparison Factors

Here are three more factors we would look at when buying a rescue dog insurance plan:

• Exam fees: Some insurers will cover the vet exam fee if you take your dog to the vet for an accident and illness. If you want this covered, make sure you go with a pet insurer that includes vet exam fees, such as Embrace.
• Behavioral therapy coverage: Not every rescue dog will have behavioral problems, but it’s prudent to look for dog insurance plans that include coverage for behavioral therapy. For example, Embrace, Fetch, MetLife, Nationwide and Spot include this benefit.
• Benefits: Look for extra benefits like a 24-hour vet helpline in case your pet gets sick at night. As another example, Nationwide pet insurance members have access to preferred pricing on pet prescriptions at any Walmart pharmacy.

To find the best pet insurance we used data provided by PetInsurer.com to score each pet insurance company based on the following:

• Pet insurance rates (40% of score): We calculated average rates for medium sized mixed breed dogs age 3 months, 2 years, 5 years and 7 years for plans with unlimited coverage, a $250 deductible and a 80% reimbursement level, or the closest options available.
• Special waiting period (10% of score): Many pet insurance companies have a special waiting period for problems such as cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia. Plans that had no waiting period, a waiting period of fewer than six months or the ability to have the waiting period waived scored higher.
• Direct payment to vet (10% of score): Pet insurance companies that have the ability to pay a vet directly earned points.
• 24/7 vet health line (10% of score): Insurers that provide access to a 24/7 vet health line earned points.
• Routine wellness plans (10% of score): Insurers that offer optional wellness plans earned points.
• Pays veterinary exam fees (10% of score): Plans that cover the vet exam fee received points. Not all insurers cover exam fees, even if the fee is for an illness or accident-related visit.
• Euthanasia or end of life expenses (5% of score): Insurers that cover end of life expenses, such as euthanasia, cremation or burial fees, received points.
• Multipet discount (5% of score): Many pet insurance companies offer a discount if you insure more than one pet. Insurers that offer a multipet discount earned points.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Pet Insurance Companies

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