ShelterCare Pet Insurance

I agree with all the other reviews. I adopted a puppy from our local shelter and activated the 30 day free policy and let a sales person convince me to add another policy. She made it sound so wonderful and easy. This is the dumbest thing I ever did. This has been a very sick puppy (pneumonia) and I've filed several claims and none have gone through easily. The latest has gone back and forth for more than a month. They tell me I've provided everything needed and 2 weeks later, I get a letter saying I haven't and they are closing the claim. I've had it and my vet has had it. I've given them 1 week to process the claim or I'm going to contact my State's consumer complaint division. I should have done more research before I activated the policy.

Just wish I had read the reviews prior to extending my policy. Experienced many of the same administrative problems expressed by others. Of course, my first claim was denied (a skin illness category). I am canceling my policy now! There are other good companies out there according to my vet.

I want to share this experience with everyone that might be looking extending the "30 day" free ShelterCare insurance that we got from our local Humane Society when adopting our dog. I followed the directions very carefully. I responded to the email sent to me within the 72 hours. I even went further and picked up the insurance to continue after the 30 days. I did this within a week of registering our 30 coverage. Our dog was adopted the day before easter..... he was very low key which was contradictory to what the Humane Society stated was his "normal" "hyper" behavior..... we were advised that he would need obedience training! The day that we visited him he was very laid back and not "hyper" when we asked about it the Shelter Rep for the Humane Society said it was probably from the surgery to" fix him" a couple of day's earlier. This made sence to my husband and I and we left the deposit, went home to get the house ready with his cage, bedding, food, etc. We wanted to be tot... Read more

I rate this company at 0 stars. None, zip, zilch, nada! Over the edge poor customer service, horrible emailing system (if you choose to email in your vet records, better do it 1 page at a time, or else you get an email saying that its too large of a file) more than slow claims department. I adopted my kitten, and a couple days later called because the shelter suggested the insurance. Because I didnt provide my email address (I abhor spam) I didnt qualify for the free 30 days, but because they didnt want my pet to be un-protected, they gave me 30 days at $8... I took my cat to the vet the next day for my own records and a check by my own vet. The vet said that my kitten was in perfect health, but might have the sniffles, which is normal for shelter babies. Some meds and a good review later, my kitten is healthy and happy and as energetic as ever. I submitted all my records, including what the shelter gave me and what my vet said, and it took me over 26 times to submit everything, includ... Read more

It's a sham. I got a puppy from the animal shelter and she came with one month ShelterCAre insurance. She had worms and upper respiratory infection - common in shelter dogs. ShelterCare covered NOTHING. They say they will not cover "pre-existing" conditions, and they decide what is considered pre-exisiting. Upper respiratory infection - while not stated by the vet as pre-existing - was assumed to be such by ShelterCare. Before I got the form letter letting me know that the $168.00 in vet bills, above the $75 deductable that I paid, was not covered - I received numerous emails saying this was my last chance to extend my dogs insurance coverage! Good thing I didn't donate money to ShelterCare and their scheme. I had to leave one star to write this review - ShelterCare deserves -10

I'm so glad I came across all these reviews as my 30 day policy is coming up for renewal. When I initially activated the policy online, it said to call to get an additional 15 days extra (for free). When I called, the sales woman started in on her pitch, to which I replied "I'm not sure I need to discuss this more with my husband"...she then went on to say "well just last week my dog had blah blah and I had to take him to the vet and it cost $2000". You could SO tell she was bullshiting and reading from a script. Yeah, like we believe that actually happened! I was so mad - should have called her on it. I won't be subscribing to these scammers!

I think this insurance is a scam. I didn't not buy a policy as we were denied our claim during the 30 days of trial insurance. The insurance supposedly didn't kick in until a few days after we brought our kitten home from the shelter. I had read the bad reviews online for Shelter Care during the 30 day trial period, so I knew when our kitten got sick, that in all probability Shelter Care wouldn't pay for her vet visit. I wouldn't recommend this insurance at all. They are in business to take people's money and not pay out on claims.

Yikes! If these reviews are any indication, I will have trouble getting reimbursed for my kitty’s upper respiratory infection. Still, wanted to let you know that I called the claim line at around 8am and got through within 2 minutes. You might try calling in the early morning to avoid a long call queue. I called to confirm receipt of my faxed claim form. How strange that they don't send out an automated email for this! Mind you, I do get 3 - 5 sales emails from them every week. They said they had received the fax 3 days ago and would I would receive an automated phone call when the claim had been processed. Crossing my fingers!

Do not use this pet insurance. It is a scam. They don't do anything they claim. If you want to get ripped this is the pet insurance you will not want. All they do is take your money and do nothing for your money. It is a 75.00 dollar copay.

NO stars This company is so useless and not easily accessible.  I tried to cancel this policy 30 days ago and still they are billing me.  I am going to call the bank next after this review is posted. I adopted two kittens from my local shelter, and was offered free exams within the first 30 days.  I didnt even receive the policies for two months, even though I had called twice for them.  When I finally had my first well kitten visit, which include first time shots and worms. my $400.00 claim was submitted and I received $23.00 back, less deductables and what was not covered. Dont do business with this company, they are a rip off. Steaming mad

Talk about a rip off! Wouldn't cover what they "stated" they would cover but didn't send me that info until charging my credit card for another month. Highly recommend sucking it up, paying the vet bills out of pocket and staying away from ShelterCare!

I adopted a cat for our local humane society in Mt Shasta, CA. in 2008. The cat came with free pet insurance -SHELTER CARE for 30 days. It was renewed for what I thought would be in my cat's best interest. One month after adopting my cat he came down with a respiratory ailment that was listed as a covered benefit for my SC policy. SCare denied the claim for no reason given. I now had incurred a 120.00 vet bill. I approached my Vet who wrote a letter as well as the HS from where I adopted my cat. THey too were perplexed why my claim was denied given this was a covered benefit. long story short I was remibursed $27.00 !! I was so mad that I cancelled my policy immediately. 2 yrs later Ii come to find out that Shelter Care was still taking monthly payments from my credit card which had been cancelled. I have now turned this issue over to the fraud dept @ my credit card company. this is partially my fault as I get my statements onling and never really look @ my statements. However I... Read more

TERRIBLE COMPANY I am so glad there are those who share their experiences about this company. It should be noticed that there are a lot more negative reviews than positive about this company and that people should notice it. I too had a HORRIBLE experience with this company. We just adopted our dog a week ago and the shelter said that it could take a couple days to get the 30 day free insurance email. The shelter didn't spell our name correctly and we didn't get the email. When we called they stated that the policy had expired. I explained what was wrong and was transferred (she didn't say to whom I would be transferred to. After waiting 30 minutes, a gentleman asked me for all the info again (they didn't transfer info) and explained the situation again. He said that he fixed the problem and resubmitted the email. He also said that all I had to do is to confirm and everything would be alright. I hung up and checked the email. The email stated that the policy expired. I cal... Read more

our local humane society should be ashamed to even be involed with this company.but they probuble donate the money they scam from hard working americans that adopt these pets.probubly better to look under free pets in your local paper and taking your new free pet to your own vet and pay the bill.i am 100 percent sure you will save money in the short run.we adopted a kitten and after having her over night relized she was very sick took her to vet she ended up being admitted for 3 days with ivs hooked up called humane society they said we had shelter care and if it was upper respertory they would cover it and it was she almost died.guess what still geting the run around why they are not paying.i will spend what ever it takes to make sure this company pays!

After adopting our kitten from the Humane Society, we enrolled for the 30 days of free pet insurance that the shelter offered. We activated the policy via phone. We even called customer service to make sure that it was active. A representative assured us that the policy was active, so we felt confident that if anything happened to our kitten, we could pay out of pocket for vet services and be reimbursed. A day or two after adopting our kitten, we noticed that something was wrong. She was very lethargic and not eating or drinking like she should. We rushed the kitten to Banfield 30 minutes before they closed, only to be told that the vet had already left, so we would have to go to an emergency vet clinic. We then traveled to an emergency vet clinic where the kitten was treated. The office visit was $85 and included multiple other fees for tests and medicine. That night we filled out the required paperwork and took it to our vet to be signed. He signed the paperwork and - even ... Read more

I am not sure why everyone on here had commented so poorly; if you know about insurance and read their posts it's obvious they simply don't understand how insurance works. I had a fantastic experience with ShelterCare and am thankful that the gift of insurance came with my adoption. If not; we would have had to pay several hundread in vet expenses for our adopted dog Sam. He was diagnosed with Kennel Cough 72 hours after we adopted him. The ShelterCare team were compassionate; explained the process in layman terms and were accessible. This plan also protected the shelter from having to pay out money; so it is a benefit to me, the shelter and the animals it serves. Wonderful. I purchased a policy for my adopted dog and 2 of my previous pets. What is even more awesome is that the parent company has other products and services that benefit the shelters. Part of the money from insurance policies actually goes back to the shelters. No other pet insurance I've seen does that.

Worst customer service ever! I've had their insurance for 2 years and got the renewal for a 3rd year stating that the premium was going up 75%. I called and canceled it. Two weeks later, I found that they had charged my expired credit card for the 3rd year. My wife called them back and the customer "service" rep yelled at her about how we were going to kill our dog if we didn't keep the insurance and that she should get a new policy for herself and keep it a secret from me. Do not get this insurance unless you want a lot of headaches.

DO NOT GET THIS INSURANCE!!! It is a waste of time! We're going on a rampage against this company and posting horrible reviews because they have wasted so much of our time. It's difficult to get the forms submitted and the Vets to get the information filled out. Once you get this information submitted then sheltercare lies and does not pay.

Complete sham. I adopted 2 kittens, and this company was recommended to me for insuring them. After looking at the coverage options, I decided to go with one of the better options, at least until it became apparent whether or not my kittens had any predisposition toward health issues. Got a confirmation email saying my paperwork would arrive shortly. I (thankfully) didn't have any major issues with the kittens during the first month. However, I never received my paperwork from them. Since I was planning to send the medical history once I got the insurance paperwork, I never bothered asking my vet for the paperwork on their physical exams. After realizing I never received the paperwork from them, I decided that this was not a company I wanted to deal with. Realizing that it had been exactly 32 days, I decided to wait to see what they were going to do, since I breached the agreement (to send the medical history within 30 days of the coverage start). Now, 35 days after my coverage... Read more

ShelterCare is a scam. I have spent more than 6 hours of my life (mostly on hold) dealing with their representatives who are only skilled at lying and pushing my buttons. Our puppy became sick 1 week after we adopted him and we were left footing over $1200 in vet bills. ShelterCare, according to their terms, should have covered round worms, but instead found every way possible to delay processing our claims. Aside from the time spent on hold, ShelterCare also sent me on several 45 minute round trips to the vet to get more paperwork so they could further delay our claims. It's amazing that both their representatives and "supervisors" have no idea what they need in order to process a claim. I was told by supervisors both verbally and in writing that out claims would be expedited. To date, we've been waiting a month since our claims were submitted and have not received a dime. I have cancelled my policy and suggest anyone holding a policy should do the same. Update: As of yesterday, I f... Read more

This is another rip off. Three days after we adopted our dog, he required treatment at our vet. We filed all the required paperwork along with copies of the paperwork from the vet. We got a notice that the insurance company need a full medical history on the dog. We got the dog at our local shelter. The only medical history available was what we sent. Tried to call. Like everybody else we were put on endless hold. I'm not sure how cheats like this are allowed to stay in business.

Here are the facts regarding my experience with this company: I adopted a pet from a City shelter. Info on the '1 month of insurance for $1.00' "Sheltercare Pet Insurance" was included with the adoption papers. It is advertised on the shelter's website. You are instructed to sign up the same day you adopt the pet. I did so. Through NO fault of the new dog - my elderly dog wouldn't accept him, and because of the size disparity could have seriously injured or killed him - I had to return him to the shelter the following day. Obviously, I needed to cancel the policy. Per Sheltercare's website, this could ONLY be done via phone. The same day the dog was returned, I attempted to cancel the policy. Twice, I waited on 'hold' for the 'cancel policy' menu option until my phone battery died. I called back the following day, and chose a different menu option, one for *getting* a policy. It was answered immediately by a 'live person' who transferred me to someone I was told could hel... Read more

I recently adopted a dog from a shelter and received the 30 days of free insurance. Well about a week after we had her she began not eating or drinking so we took her to the vet. The vet ran many tests of her to discover what happened. Well they never figured out what it was and the veterinarian diagnosed it as poison ingestion. Our dog was on an IV all weekend and still on antibiotics. The pet insurance did not cover anything! Therefore we will not buy future pet insurance. It’s not worth it!

What a joke!! This company is nothing but a rip-off! Luckily I received this coverage free when I adopted my dog. I cannot believe people would actually pay for this! Be warned...once taking the time to complete the paper work (and it is a pain)...it will take months before you hear back. In fact, I have yet to receive anything in writing and it has been over 3 months. When I contacted customer service I literally sat on hold for almost an hour. It got to the point it was a game...I wanted to see just how long it would take before some one would actually speak with me! Apparently they only have about 7 people working in the "claims" division. (By the way, the "claims" number is 866-275-7387 x: 329 not the number on the website. I found this out by finally calling back and hitting the button for the sales department...which was VERY quick to answer!!) Just know that they DO NOT cover anything that could be considered "wellness" and that the deductable is $75...not $50. A... Read more

I received the 30 day insurance when I adopted my pet. The week after I purchased my kitten, I spent a couple thousand with emergency care. After contacting them several times, I realized that the $750 max is a joke. ShelterCare said that they would only cover less than $100 of the care.

WOW, If I could give a negative star I would. What a rip off Sheltercare Pet Insurance, Petcareinsurance.com, or whatever con name they are under this week. I'm glad I never gave these clowns any money - had a 30 day trial following a shelter adoption - and they couldn't get that right. If there is a way to weasel out of paying, they will. But remember, this place is out of NY and the Attorney General is always looking for someone to sue.

I was highly disappointed as well not only is there a gap, Lord forbid you care enough to not make the pet suffer, but also if it is a pre existing condition its not covered. Explain to me how a pet that you get from a shelter is probably not going to have a pre existing condition. This is a joke insurance I would tell anyone not to do it! Its called shelter insurance hmmmm maybe thats just to get people to think they are good hearted??.....

I'm sure it's great insurance if you don't need it within the first 48 house of adopting your pet. For some reason, there is a 2 day gap before their insurance kicks in. On the form those dates are not prominent and subsequently my kennel cough claim was denied. Disappointing.