Uno Takes Dog Show Top Prize

If the Westminster Dog Show is the Super Bowl of dog shows, then Uno the 25-pound beagle is this year’s Eli Manning. Just like the New York Giants MVP, underdog Uno bested some stiff competition: 2,657 canines from 48 states and at least six foreign countries, before being crowned top dog. A capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden (CVC) roared when Uno became the first beagle in the contest’s 132 year history to win best in show. 

But the road to winning Westminster’s silver cup is paved with more than just kibble and comb-outs. With professional trainers charging upwards of $5,000 per dog, per show, breeding fees of $1000 or more, and skyrocketing veterinary costs, an owner’s spending can add up. Americans will spend almost $41 billion on their pets this year. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, about $10 billion of that will be spent on veterinary care. 

“Not long ago, pet owners had little choice but to put their animals down when they became seriously ill,” says Jeanne Salvatore, senior vice president at the Insurance Information Institute. Now four-legged friends have access to costly treatments such as chemotherapy, MRIs and organ transplants. Veterinary costs are soaring. “Increasingly pet owners are purchasing health insurance to help pay the veterinary bills,” says Salvatore. Pet health insurance is a $230 million business comprised of nine major companies, the biggest being VPI, PetsCare and Pet Health Care. And unless your dog or cat has a $12 million trust fund like the late Leona Helmsely’s Maltese, it is important to shop around the same way you would when you buy human health insurance.