When their dog's care cost $9,885, these pet parents had "peace of mind & protection" with Fetch

Meet Kaiser, a German Shepherd rescue with a big heart and an even bigger appetite

At their home in Georgia, Christopher and his wife, Leslie, have always had a fur family. “We don’t call them ‘pets,’” he said, “because we don’t have kids. They’re really members of the family. They’re our kids.”

Eight years ago, their family included a Black Lab named Molly and a Chihuahua/Terrier mix named Sweet Pea, but Christopher had been wanting to add a German Shepherd to their brood. When Leslie found Kaiser, a 1-year-old German Shepherd, Christopher couldn’t believe it. “We call him our male model because he’s purebred, we can’t believe he came from a rescue. He’s a good-looking dog!” Christopher shared. 

Christopher was initially a bit worried about how Kaiser would fit in with their other dogs since he hadn’t been socialized. But 11-pound Sweet Pea quickly “put Kaiser in his place” and he found his place in their family. “He’s very vocal, just like a Shepherd is, but also respectful of the lady that’s in the house, our little dog.” That said, Christopher noted that Kaiser loves to eat (especially doggie ice cream treats) — and is known to lurk around Sweet Pea’s bowl at mealtimes to “help” her finish.

Kaiser’s parents chose Fetch so they wouldn’t have to make difficult medical decisions based on cost

Though Christopher and Leslie are longtime pet parents, it wasn’t until Kaiser needed emergency surgery that they decided to look into pet insurance. Christopher said, “Everything was great until 2020 when COVID hit, and then he had an episode of bloat that was a cause for emergency surgery. It was at that point that we looked into pet insurance and opted to go with Fetch.” When it came to choosing a provider, Christopher wanted to make sure to find the right plan and coverage. “For me, anytime you have to buy something over 100 bucks, I say ‘I need to figure out what’s the best.’” He chose Fetch in large part because he was looking for a plan that he could customize, along with a streamlined claims experience. “Everything that I read about it said that it was pretty simple and straightforward. I liked the fact that you could [submit claims] online. It seemed like it made the most sense out of all the different ones that were out there. I liked everything I read about them.”

With Fetch’s help, Kaiser’s parents were able to say yes to the extensive veterinary treatment he needed down the road

Christopher and Leslie would do anything for their fur babies, which is why they decided to enroll Kaiser with Fetch. “The point of getting the insurance is so when your pet needs treatment, you don’t have to make any difficult decisions based on cost — and you have the peace of mind and protection. It should never come down to that, and you know if something happens, then you’re prepared and you can get the care that he or she needs.”  

That protection and peace of mind were crucial when Kaiser needed more unexpected veterinary care last year. Christopher and Leslie noticed that something was off about the way Kaiser was walking, so they brought him to the vet. After an MRI and many other diagnostic tests, Kaiser’s veterinarian found a cyst on his spinal cord that required surgery. The cyst was benign, but Kaiser wasn’t quite himself after the procedure — he had developed a blood clot from the surgery, so he had to go back to the hospital for an emergency procedure. 

Given that Kaiser needed many tests, an overnight stay at the hospital and two surgeries, the veterinary bill was almost $10,000. “At that point, we were thrilled to have Fetch,” Christopher said. “We knew he was covered. It was just a matter of filing the claims and the whole procedure was very, very simple and seamless. We did everything online. Outside of the deductible we were able to get reimbursed for 80%.” Fetch paid back $6,908 for Kaiser’s treatment, and Kaiser was able to get back to doing what he loves — eating treats, playing with squeaky pigs and chasing “anything with a tail.”