Petplan, the UK’s favourite pet insurer, has paid over £700,000 in funds to its animal charity partners to support them through the pandemic.
This follows recent research from the Association of Dog and Cat Homes (ADCH) that found a worrying 48 percent of members did not have funds to ensure they could continue to operate for more than three months. It also revealed 18 percent faced the risk of imminent closure due to the impact on fundraising.
For over 30 years Petplan has been providing four weeks free insurance for rehomed pets and gives 10 percent of rescue pet premiums back to animal charities. To help the charities continue to care for animals during the COVID-19 crisis Petplan has provided the money upfront in one payment instead of spread over the next six months. This ensures that the charities can use their sum immediately to help the animals that need it most.
In addition, the Petplan Charitable Trust has also contributed vital funds to animal charities thanks to the generosity of Petplan customers. To date £150,000 has been donated to the ADCH Emergency Coronavirus Appeal and another £50,000 donated to the COVID-19 Equine Rescues Emergency Fund.
James Barnes, head of sales and partnership, Petplan commented: “Petplan has worked in partnership with the UK’s animal charities for a long time and we’ve seen first-hand the devastating impact COVID-19 is having on their income and the vital funds needed to support the animals in their care. By providing this money we are helping charities to navigate the current situation a little more easily.”
Dianna Radford from Sheffield Animal Shelter added: “It’s been an incredibly challenging time these past few months. When Petplan stepped up to support charities like ours, it was a game changer in so many ways – our morale, our faith in others, and the recognition that, like us, Petplan was standing up for animal welfare.”
