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Review 2/9/2011
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I generally have let the VPI claims results alone as VPI did generously (for good PR & marketing reasons) give the September 11th search & rescue dogs coverage for life. However, this latest denial of coverage irks me to the point I feel if they are doing it to one of the few 9-11 SAR dogs still alive, they surely do it to everyone's pets as well. That is just not right and I have had no success going through customer care to correct the situation. Unrelated past claims results also have been why I choose not to insure my other working dogs with VPI.
Basically this is the 2nd year in a row that the annual vaccines have not been covered by VPI for this 9-11 dog despite having the routine care coverage. It is not a lot of money, and some years the shots were given by a FEMA vet not costing me anything, but simply the point that these vaccines are yearly or every three years yet VPI denies the claims repeatedly. Apparently they expect the dog's preventative health vaccines to lapse making it after the due date before being given again.
That puts the dog's health at risk, especially a dog that is exposed more such as a working search & rescue dog. It also means a working dog must be pulled from the field - it cannot attend trainings, workshops, or real missing person searches because the shot records have expired. That is for the safety of the other dogs. To prevent this, annual vet visits are done slightly before the vaccines expire. That way there is no loss in coverage and the dog can stay active in the field. So why would VPI keep denying these claims?
Since this is the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, a great deal of media coverage will be on the few surviving 9-11 dogs. I have already warned VPI that I will use the Internet, and the media in interviews that have already started happening and will continue through Sept/Oct, to point out to the public VPI's press releases stating they cover the 9-11 dogs is true - but how they deny coverage of even the most basic preventative vaccines to keep these dogs healthy and ready to respond to the next missing person incident. Sure, my dog is old now...She is limited in the size or difficulty of areas she works, but she maintains her certifications and training and is still actively working. Who knows how much longer that will be the case as our partners do not live as long as we wish they could. It's a shame VPI doesn't make right on its coverage for my dog...and the others I'm sure they also deny.
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