Animal Friends, pet insurance company, rejects claim for Service Dogs’s treatment; leaving
his disabled owner Katy distressed, shocked, worried and devastated, whilst battling with her
own health conditions, including waiting for an above knee amputation.
Nero became unwell which has broke his owner/ handlers, Katy’s heart, who just wanted his
sparkle back! Nero is a pure breed German Shepherd, who has been with Katy since he was
6 weeks old. Nero developed a hotspot skin infection on his left hip, which required medical
attention.
However, Animal Friends Nero’s insurance refused to pay the claim, becoming foes not
friends of the pair of them!
They stated to Katy that her policy says ‘We do not cover a pet with Pre-existing Conditions.
If your pet has been symptoms and treatment free for more than 2 years before the start
date of your cover. Symptom and treatment free means that your pet has not received
veterinary medical care, medication or veterinary advice for the condition for the condition in
the last 2 years (their wording, not Katy’s and Nero had, had none of these except this acute
episode). If your pet has a pre-existing condition that has not been symptom or treatment
free for 2 years at start of cover, you will be excluded. After the 2 years the exclusion will be
removed and cover will start for that condition again’ (Animal Friend - Pre-existing
Conditions).
A pre-existing situation or thing exists already or before something else, for example people
who have been infected in the course of the treatment for their preexisting illness (Collins
Dictionary, 2023). Therefore meaning that the infection is not the pre-existing condition. The
Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), 2023 states that a pre-existing medical conditions are
an illness or injury that had happened before the policy, examples include diabetes, asthma,
high cholesterol and a long term back condition. These are all chronic conditions, which
require regular and ongoing treatment to help manage the short term symptoms to cure
them (Money.co.uk, 2023).
As Katy investigated, in terms of any medical insurance (health or pet), a pre-existing
condition is anything you have had medical treatment in the past; this includes consultation,
medications or any other treatments (Money.co.uk, 2023). Nero had, had no symptoms or
treatment for a skin condition prior to this episode in his entire life. Nero had his 3rd birthday
at the beginning of October 2023.
Nero is gentle, caring, loving, loyal and protective not just over Katy, but over the nine
Guinea Pigs they live with too.
Nero is Katy’s life line for both her numerous physical and mental health conditions. Nero
helps Katy with her mobility and wakes her up from PTSD nightmares, as well as keeping
her anxiety and depression at a low level. They are inseparable.
Katy lives with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in her left knee on the McGill pain
index the most painful condition and is waiting for an above knee amputation; as well as a left hip impingement and fibromyalgia in particular her back, wrists and hands. She also lives
with other people’s worst nightmares from been a frontline NHS paramedic for numerous
years which has left her with complex post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Nero doesn't wear a cape, but is Katy’s superhero and best friend.
