Vicky Hughes, a U.K. woman, has sold most of her belongings on eBay to pay for her dog’s surgery after she learned her pet insurance wouldn’t cover her pooch.
The 33-year-old Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, woman had to pay more than $6,000 for several hours of emergency surgery for her dog, Emma, the Daily Mail reported this week.
“I broke down in tears on the phone when they told me Emma was not covered. It was as if they didn’t give a stuff about what had just happened,” she told the tabloid.
At the time, Hughes could not entirely pay for the six-year-old dog’s surgery after her insurer said the dog’s treatment could not be covered. She had to use the last several hundred dollars in her bank account to cover the bill.
And afterward, she was forced to sell off her dresses, refrigerator, and other items on auction site eBay.
She also started a charity website that netted her around $1,500 to help pay it off.
“My bank account was empty,” she elaborated. “I’ve had to sell everything I absolutely don’t need. I simply assumed my insurance would cover all accidents. I had no idea that treatment would be excluded.”
According to Opposingviews.com, her story isn’t uncommon, as many pet insurance policies have problems.
“If you get the right policy, it can be an asset to the health care of that pet and have a significant impact on the bill that results from a visit in an emergency situation” veterinarian Jean Maixner told the site. “If people had acquired pet insurance before the emergency occurred, they might have been able to move forward with some reasonable treatment to help their pet.”
Checkbook.com reported that pet insurance policies usually don’t pay off.
“It’s common to pay $300 a year or more for pet insurance. Over the life of a dog or cat that might be $5,000 or more. Most people are not going to have a big expense like that,” a report on the website said.
