We love our pets! Nearly two-thirds of all U.S. households have a pet. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, more than 37% of all U.S. households have a pet dog and 32% have a pet cat – some have more than one. And that doesn’t even figure in horses, birds, and a variety of other pets. And we take our pets very seriously. In a 2006 survey, nearly half of the pet owners polled indicated that they consider their pets to be family members.
In our own research, we find that at least half of our members have pets. Along with all the incoming calls for help with family issues or life problems, we get occasional questions about pets. Pet issues such as behavioral or grief over the loss of a pet can pose challenges for their human owners.
Here at ESI, we decided to harness the knowledge and resources of some pet experts – as well as some of our own staff – to offer our members a new Pet Benefit to assist you in solving pet-related problems. Whether it is help in choosing or naming a pet, finding a vet, locating hotels or vacation areas that allow pets, or solving a pet behavioral problem, we can help.
We’ve compiled our online PET HELP CENTER that offers a centralized source for resources and help. It features links and articles on a variety of pet-related matters. We’ll be updating and adding pet info and news frequently, so check back often.