HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Every year, at least one in three pets will need emergency vet care, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Now, in Georgia, you can buy pet insurance to help mitigate your furry friend's healthcare costs.
In the first year of owning your pet, you can spend around $3,200 for your dog and around $1,900 for your cat.
When considering their vet care like spaying, neutering and microchipping, things can get expensive. Then, you add in routine food and grooming expenses -- which can range between $140 to $225 annually -- owning a pet can cause you to dip deeply into your wallet.
Dr. John Hutchens is the sole veterinarian and owner of Hands of Hope Animal Hospital in Byron. He said he thinks it's worth preparing for those emergency moments.
"I'm a huge fan of pet insurance," he said.
In fact, he said he educates his patients and pet owners about the weight pet insurance can lift off their shoulders if the vet bills start adding up.
"We're not trying to sell pet insurance," Hutchens said. "We're, hopefully, benefitting because we're able to practice the best medical practices, because they don't have to worry about the added cost to their bank account because they have the benefit of insurance to cover them."
When his dog was sick with cancer last year, he didn't have pet insurance.
However, as a vet, he was able to take matters into his own hands.
"I just enjoyed the fact that I could walk the journey with him, and be a comforter to him, and just make sure he was getting the best medicine care that I thought he needed," Hutchens said. "What better person to do that than myself?"
Grace is a four-year-old bull mastiff mixed with a lab. Her birthday was Tuesday, Aug. 1-- the same day Georgia allowed pet insurance to be sold.
"[For] most people who have service dogs, it's not affordable to take care of them," her mom, Geraldine Jones, said.
She says she's committed to protecting Grace's health and has pet insurance through PetSmart.