Boise, Idaho based Pets Best Insurance, one of the nation’s leading pet health insurance agencies, supports PSI's Take Your Dog To Work Day® on June 22nd and every day, as a reminder of the numerous health benefits of pet ownership.
Anyone unfamiliar with the day-to-day workings of the Pets Best Insurance office might think the employees celebrate Take Your Dog to Work Day everyday—and in essence they do.
“I hope employers around the country will recognize June 22nd as a national pet holiday,” Pets Best Insurance President and Founder Dr. Jack Stephens said. “We have a pet friendly office and always have. Any day you come visit us, you’ll be greeted by at least ten or fifteen wagging tails… and that’s at the very minimum.”
Dr. Stephens said the reason the Pets Best Insurance office is pet friendly is twofold.
“One, I always like having my Teacup Chihuahua Torrey by my side, and two, not only are pets man and woman’s best friend, but it’s been proven being a pet owner is good for overall health.”
Take Your Dog to Work Day was created to celebrate dog companionship and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, shelters and rescues. This annual event asks pet lovers to celebrate the human-dog bond and encourages employers to open their workplace to their employees’ four-legged friends. Pets Best Insurance supports this every day.
According to the National Center for Infectious Diseases, owning a pet has been shown to decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride levels and feelings of loneliness. Additionally, the Psychology Today website says pets can actually have bona fide healing effects on owners, and Dr. Stephens knows this firsthand.
“In 1989 I was diagnosed with throat cancer,” he said. “While battling the cancer, one of my saving graces was my dog Spanky.”
Dr. Stephens attributes most of his winning fight with cancer to the relationship he had with this small Miniature Pinscher.
“Spanky became tuned in to my need to fight the disease with more than drugs and radiation,” he said. “Some nights he would lie next to me and cuddle, giving me that warm feeling. Other nights he seemed to understand I was in pain and needed space, so he would instead watch me from a distance-- constantly on vigil to see how I was coping. Surviving cancer, I witnessed firsthand the power of pets in the healing process.”
Dr. Stephens encourages employers everywhere to consider making their offices pet friendly, or at the very least, embracing this national holiday on June 22nd.
“Not only do pets in the workplace increase staff morale and productivity, but it enhances job performance,” he said. “There’s something about having pets in the workplace that just brings people together. Plus, it’s hard to have a bad day when someone’s wagging their tail at you.”
About Pets Best Insurance
With the goal of reducing economic euthanasia and his commitment to the health and well-being of all pets, Pets Best Insurance president Dr. Jack Stephens founded pet insurance in the United States in 1981. A true industry visionary, Dr. Stephens presented the first pet insurance policy to famous television dog Lassie. Dr. Stephens leads the Pets Best Insurance team with his passion for quality pet health care and his expert veterinary knowledge. The Pets Best Insurance team, in turn, is comprised of pet lovers who strive to deliver quality customer service and value.
Pet insurance plans offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware Insurance company. Independence American Insurance Company is a member of The IHC Group, an insurance organization composed of Independence Holding Company, a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and its operating subsidiaries. The IHC Group has been providing life, health and stop loss insurance solutions for nearly 30 years. For information on The IHC Group, visit: http://www.ihcgroup.com. In states in which Independence American Insurance Company’s new policy form has not yet received regulatory approval, Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut will underwrite policies. Each insurer has sole responsibility for its own products. To determine the applicable underwriter in your state visit http://www.petsbest.com/underwriter or please call Pets Best at 1-877-738-7237.
For more information, visit Pets Best Insurance at http://www.petsbest.com or phone 877-PetsBest (738-7237). You may also follow them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/petsbestinsurance.
Dr. Jack Stephens is available for interviews.