Pet Insurance Market Gets a Reality Check: 98% of Pet Owners Still Unprotected

The pet care industry just got shaken up. Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company, just rolled out Pumpkin Insurance Services – a new approach to pet health coverage that’s addressing a pretty glaring gap in the market.

Here’s the situation: despite cats and dogs being full-fledged family members, nearly 98% of U.S. pet owners have zero health insurance for their companions. Yet annually, 1 in 3 pets faces a medical emergency costing $800-$1,500 per visit on average. It’s a mismatch between the need and the protection available.

What Makes Pumpkin Different?

Rather than just offering reactive insurance for when things go wrong, Pumpkin is bundling traditional pet health coverage with something most insurers don’t touch – proactive preventive care through its Preventive Essentials plan.

For dog owners:

• Annual wellness exam reimbursement + 2 vaccines covered
• 12-month supply of Zoetis’ Simparica Trio® (protection against heartworm, ticks, fleas, and worms) for $15.95/month
• Direct home delivery of medications – a service competitors don’t offer

For cat owners:

• Annual wellness exam + 1 vaccine reimbursement
• 12-month supply of Revolution® Plus (6-in-1 parasite prevention) for $10.95/month
• Same direct-to-home medication delivery

The Math Works Out

Pet owners can save approximately $240 annually just on vaccines, wellness exams, and parasite prevention through this bundled approach. But the bigger play here is convenience – automatic digital reminders ensure pets actually stay compliant with preventive medications, which according to Zoetis’ internal data, is currently way too low across the pet population.

Why This Matters

The real innovation isn’t just the coverage itself – it’s solving the compliance problem. Most pet owners know prevention matters, but the friction in the system (remember to call the vet, get an appointment, pick up medication) means pets fall through the cracks. Pumpkin removes those friction points.

Alex Douzet, CEO of Pumpkin, frames it clearly: pet insurance remains vastly underutilized, and by making preventive care frictionless, owners can actually help their pets stay healthy year-round instead of playing catch-up in emergency rooms.

Backed by Zoetis’ 65+ years in animal health expertise, Pumpkin is now rolling out across multiple U.S. states. For more details on availability and coverage options, head to pumpkin.care.