When you look for a new job, it’s natural and important to do a little research on the company. That research will likely include their benefits. Every organization has its pros and cons and potential employees prioritize different benefits. Now, here’s a benefit you may not have known you needed (or wanted): pet insurance. At Culture Foundry, you may be surprised to learn we offer pet insurance to our employees. That’s right, each of our full-time employees is offered this unique benefit through Trupanion.

Last summer, Culture Foundry Senior Software Engineer Collin Jensen received some devastating news regarding his pup’s health. He and his wife noticed their dog, Yoshi, was getting a bloody nose, and took him into the vet where he completed some bloodwork.

Yoshi was diagnosed with a deadly form of bone cancer, chondrosarcoma.

Chondrosarcoma is usually considered inoperable when it takes place in the nose. If caught early enough, however, there’s hope. Collin rushed Yoshi to the nearest specialist at Texas A&M, twelve hours away from their Albuquerque home.

They weren’t too late. The university veterinarians agreed to treat Yoshi. As one can imagine, however, the process promised to be expensive and emotionally draining.

Collin has some experience in the vet industry from his family. He says he’s generally skeptical when it comes to insurance for pets. However, already having Trupanion as pet insurance for Yoshi brought a strong peace of mind. Trupanion agreed to cover the charges throughout the process. Collin says, because of Trupanion’s coverage, they were able to reach out to professionals quickly and make decisions confidently. That was a big part of why things worked out so well: the ability to comfortably take immediate action. 

Fast forward and Yoshi is receiving ongoing treatment at Texas A&M, making the drive from Albuquerque to College Station (well…not just Yoshi). He received radiation a few times at the start of the treatment process so the vets could go back in and remove the mass through surgery. Thankfully, the surgery was successful. Yoshi is now going in for regular check-ups to ensure the cancer doesn’t re-emerge. Collin says the only side-effect they’ve experienced involves Yoshi’s nasal passage, which is now much more prone to bacterial infections, but this is very treatable and manageable. 

The decision to include pet insurance as a benefit for employees is not a common one. As mentioned earlier, Collin is very familiar with the industry and noted, “I’ve always been cynical about pet insurance, but having it be covered straight away has been a huge relief.” It was not too long ago in the veterinary industry that pet insurance was never even offered as an option. Culture Foundry’s decision to include it is uncommon but as a company that tends to be pretty obsessed with our pets, it seemed like the right one for us.