Pet insurance was front and centre during my last visit to the vet.

As we were standing in a line, a woman came screaming into the lobby, carrying her bleeding and crushed dog in her arms. He had been hit by a car and was near death.

The dog was dying and she didn't have pet insurance.

The woman was hysterical. The retriever had been in their family for 10 years and she was frantic about what would she tell the kids if she didn't bring their best friend home.

The vets came running out and assessed the dog quickly on the spot. He needed emergency surgery, blood transfusions, x-rays and fluids. What did she want to do, they asked her.

The cost to save her dog's life could be as high as $5000.

They asked her again what she wanted to do. This just added to the woman's tears. I'll find a way, she said, do you what you have to do.

They asked her if she had pet insurance and she said no.

My goodness, I thought. Where would I come up with $5000 to save my pet if my credit cards were charged up?

In that moment, I realized that the $15 per month I spent on pet insurance for each of my cats was not option. In fact, the pet insurance was vital to our financial and emotional health.

What is pet insurance?

Pet Insurance is a policy that covers your household pets such as cats and dogs as long as they're healthy. That means if an emergency medical situation arises like the dog above, I can make the best choices for the comfort and health of my pet.

Pet insurance usually covers more than just the vet bills. It can also cover emergency kenneling costs, theft and travel.

Piece of mind and emotional health for pet owners.

Millions of dog and cat owners treat their pets like members of the family. My four cats are members of our family.

I cannot imagine the trauma and distress of trying to make a life or death decision based solely on our ability to pay.

Pet insurance means I never have to make that decision. That gives me great comfort similar to what I feel knowing my kids are looked after through my life insurance if something happens to me.

Pet insurance means unexpected bills won't cause you financial hardship.

Pet insurance can take away the financial worries when a pet is seriously ill.

Knowing this, when I first discovered pet insurance in the late 1980's (while renewing my life insurance) I jumped all over it. At that time, $25 per month to cover three cats seemed like peanuts. Today, I pay $60 for 4 cats.

Are there different levels of pet insurance?

Just like the different coverages on your life insurance policy, pet insurance plans are the same.

There are usually different levels of coverages available where different values or events are covered. Usually the higher the monthly payment, the greater the value of coverages.

Different aspects of coverages you need to review include Vet's Fees, Coverage for Life, Accidental Damage, Death from Illness, Death from Accident, Advertising & Reward, Theft or Straying, Third Party Liability & Legal Expenses, Boarding Kennel Fees, Holiday Cancellation Costs and Overseas Travel.

When should you get pet insurance?

I have insured all of my cats within the first six months of life.

It is often difficult to get insurance for older pets. Usually pre-existing illnesses will not be covered. That's why it is important to think about insurance as soon as possible.

About the author:

Bestpetresources.com is run by Drew Harris and is a one-stop-shop web portal for those shopping for pet insurance and pet meds. Multiple pages of resources, referrals and tools. Expert advice articles. http://www.bestpetresources.com