DogALot: Kidogo Kala Fund

The Kidogo Kala Story

Kidogo Kala is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. She is a beautiful, 3 year old, 70 pound little girl adopted from a shelter a little less than a year ago. Only a few papers hint of her past life. Apparently from a pet shop in Michigan, she somehow ended up abandoned in a shelter in Chicago.

Adopted last September, Kala has been a typical city dog for the past 9-10 months. She walks on her leash 2 to 4 times a day, runs errands with her owner, meets new friends at the dog park or Dog Beach on a weekly basis and even has a Yorkie/Maltese mix roommate whom she occasionally cuddles with. She takes up half the bed and stares down guests when they sit in her spot on the couch.

But her life now dangles on the edge. Succumbing to instinct, early last Sunday morning, she took off after a rat, (a poor city replacement for the lion she was bred for) and , in hot pursuit, ripped the leash from her owners hand. The rat darted across the road, hiding safely under a porch. Kala never made it. Half way across the road she was struck by a cab.

Costs For Common Aliements
Pulmonary Problems	$3,830+
Cruciate Ligaments	$3,640+
Syncope	$3,005+
Colitis	$3,000+
Portosystemic Shunts	$3,000+
Tumour	$3,000+
Epilepsy	$3,000+
Foreign Body Ingestion	$3,000+
Hypocalcemia	$2,985+
Otitis Externa	$2,965+

Like any other person who has a pet that is a member of the family, Kala’s owner rushed her into an all night ER clinic without much forethought as to what it might cost. ‘Just make her better” she pleaded.

They did what they could. Examined her, took x-rays, and administered an IV for fluids. Once stabilized, they brought the estimate out. Assuming that this would be the only overnight stay and all the care she would need, the bill estimate ran from 800-1300. But it wasn’t.

Only 8 hours after being brought home, Kala needed to be rushed back to the ER to have her lung tapped. The new estimate, not including the last, again ran from 750-2000, depending on how long she needed to stay this time and any other additional treatment.

Whether you have a story similar to this one, or just need a regular check up for heart worm, medical bills for your pet can be overwhelming. But, apparently, they don’t have to be.

Pets these days are eligible for health insurance, just like any human is. Unfortunately, not many owners are aware of this. It sometimes takes a tragedy such as the story above, to become enlightened. And even then, it may not be obvious. It took the friend of a friend to inform Kala’s owner of the availability of pet insurance. By then though, it was too late to help her out.

But its not too late for others. Kala’s roommate now has health insurance of his own, thanks to this harsh learning experience. And so, hopefully, will yours.

“I have had several pets since childhood and none have ever been insured. In fact, before hearing this story, I think I would have even turned down the idea of insuring my pet.

It’s a pet, I would have thought. She walks on a leash and plays in fenced parks. What could possibly happen that would justify paying an expensive monthly fee.

But then again, I was shocked when I heard my friend bawling over the phone explaining how her baby lurched out of her grip and went after a rat, of all things.

So I looked into what her friends had suggested; this pet insurance option. What I found was astounding. It does indeed exist. And it actually is not expensive at all.”

There are several providers of pet insurance, and depending on your own personal preferences, you can choose which one you think would be best. It is completely affordable and coverage can help take care of up to 80% of your vet bills.

Insurance for a dog starts at just $9.50 a month ($7.50 a month for a cat) with a $100 deductible from ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. Or with only a $50 deductible and chemotherapy coverage, insurance from VPI is only $37.25 a month.

Get an insurance quote today!