What is a Pet Transportation Protection Plan?
A Pet Transportation Protection Plan is a short-term contract that covers some, or all, of your expenses related to pet injuries, illnesses, and other unexpected issues that may occur during transport. It is a unique shipping benefit offered by professional pet transporters or online marketplaces (that connect pet owners with qualified drivers). While some pet transportation sources or marketplaces may offer a transport plan for a nominal fee, industry leaders often include the protection at no cost as a value-added service to the pet owner. The availability of a Pet Transportation Protection Plan is an important differentiator between the best pet delivery services and the rest.
At CitizenShipper, we want you to transport your pet with complete confidence and peace of mind. That’s why all of our bookings come with a $1,000 Pet Transportation Protection Plan free of charge. Your pet is an important part of your family – and we’re committed to making the shipping process safe, swift, and stress-free.
Our Pet Protection Plan begins the moment you drop your pet off with your transporter and lasts for the entire duration of the trip. Learn more about the benefits of CitizenShipper’s Pet Transportation service here.
Pet Transportation Protection Plans Aren’t Pet Insurance
It is also important to understand that a Pet Transportation Protection Plan is not pet insurance and does not replace any existing policies you may have or are considering purchasing. Pet Insurance provides ongoing coverage for your pet which is not limited to the duration of the transport. It is usually more comprehensive, costly, and works much like your own medical insurance. You can select from a variety of coverage options and deductible amounts that work best for you. So, for just over 1% of pet owners who carry Pet Insurance with travel coverage, a Pet Transportation Plan may not seem like a big deal. The other 99% may see things differently. That’s why when choosing pet transportation, affordable or free inclusion of a short-term limited transport protection plan should be a major consideration in the decision process.
How Does a Pet Transportation Protection Plan Work?
Typically, protection starts when your pet is picked up and ends upon delivery. Because most pet transportations go smoothly, that’s about all you need to know – you can just sit back and relax. In the rare case when an incident occurs, there are basic actions to take before and after you submit a case. These include:
- If your pet is ill or injured, instruct the driver to promptly seek professional veterinary treatment. Retain copies of all your pet’s medical bills and other related costs.
- If your pet is lost or stolen, immediately contact local law enforcement and keep copies of the police report.
- Promptly report the incident to CitizenShipper, ensuring you do so within the required time associated with your plan. To be considered eligible for reimbursement, your case should be submitted through the Incident Report Form within 10 days of the date of actual or scheduled delivery.
- Advise CitizenShipper if any other pet insurance or protection plan
- Be prepared to provide proof of pet ownership.
What Expenses Does Pet Transportation Protection Cover?
CitizenShipper's protection plan can reimburse eligible expenses up to $1,000. While this plan comes free of charge, you have the option to upgrade your plan and increase the reimbursement limit for an additional cost. You can increase the limit to $2,500 for an additional $99, or to $5,000 for an additional $169.
Expenses included under the plan include specific veterinary care, medical, or other related costs associated with the illness or injury of a pet during shipping, and certain expenses related to recovery efforts if a pet goes missing. Depending on your pet's circumstances, the plan may require a 20% Shipper processing fee that is deducted from your reimbursement funds. For our upgraded plans ($2.5k and $5k) the processing fee is set at 10%.
Reimbursement Limitations
There are reimbursement limitations under a Pet Transportation Protection Plan. Most just make sense. For example, you won’t receive reimbursement if there’s an injury before or after the transport, or for routine veterinary services such as shots or check-ups. The plan does not cover the value of the pet itself.
Some other common exceptions are listed here. To be safe, make sure to check the reimbursement limitations in any Pet Transportation Protection Plan offered to you.
In cases involving illness, injury, or death, the pet owner must provide a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), also known as a health certificate, for reimbursement eligibility. Most airlines and states require a health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of travel. Read more in our Prepping for Transport article.
Additionally, veterinary reports or necropsy documents may provide valuable support in our investigation. These documents help us better understand the circumstances and may be necessary in certain cases. For guidance on what may be needed in your specific case, please contact our support team at support@citizenshipper.com.
Ship Your Pet with Confidence
If you’re looking for affordable pet transportation that doesn’t skimp on care or quality, we’ve got you covered. Our Pet Protection Plan will give you that extra layer of confidence so you can sit back and relax.
Let’s get started! Fill out our New Move Form to meet and connect with animal-loving transporters in minutes.
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Pet Protection Plan Terms and Conditions
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