Pets are at the heart of many Atlanta new homes, greeting family members after a day of work or school (or, for some cats, snubbing those same family members), lending unconditional love, providing laughter, and generally just being there when someone needs a hug.

Unfortunately, their care can take up a large chunk of the household budget, too. Vet visits for routine care can add up quickly. Unfortunately, when more serious accidents or illnesses occur, some families are left without the financial ability to provide lifesaving care.

The Equifax Personal Finance blog,  which regularly runs articles on insurance topics, devoted a recent post to Pet insurance. Insurance expert Linda Rey lists some details to consider if you decide to look into pet insurance options, such as choices for deductibles, available preventive care, and maximum benefits per incident or per year. “

Is Pet Insurance Right for You and Your Pet?”  also suggests different types of treatment options that may or may not be covered, ranging from vaccines to hospitalization and surgery. The key is to sit down with your insurance agent to determine what your pet’s risks are and decide which types of coverage will work best for you.

Rey also suggests checking your auto insurance coverage. Sometimes, companies will include a pet benefit as part of collision coverage. She gives a link to one carrier that even offers a death benefit.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy will help you out with your liability if your pet injures a person, but Rey says it probably doesn’t cover injuries to other animals. This means that if someone’s animal harms your pet, their insurance probably won’t help you out either.

Rey provides a link to a Consumer Reports article that weighs the costs and benefits of buying pet insurance and compares popular pet insurance plans. To get these links and see Rey’s full article and explanations, visit the

Equifax Personal Finance blog.  Having the financial ability to keep your pet healthy longer could bring extra joy to your home for many, many years to come.