As September and National Pet Insurance Month arrive, benefits leaders everywhere are evaluating their offerings. But while the name of the month focuses on insurance, savvy employers and brokers are asking a bigger question: “Is our current strategy truly serving all our employees?”

With the American Pet Products Association confirming that 66% of U.S. households own a pet, pet benefits have the potential to impact a majority of any workforce. To gain a true competitive edge, a modern benefits strategy must go beyond a single solution and offer a diverse spectrum of choices.

How Pet Benefits Drive Employee Satisfaction

In today’s competitive job market, the benefits that truly move the needle are those that address the whole employee. Pet benefits have rapidly evolved from a niche perk into a powerful tool for talent attraction and retention, and the business case is clearer than ever. But pet benefits are about more than just making employees happy. They’re key to fostering a more loyal, focused, and resilient workforce.

1. Protecting Your Team’s Focus and Mental Health

Consider the direct link to financial wellness and productivity. When an employee faces an unexpected vet bill, the resulting financial stress doesn’t stay at home. By providing a meaningful pet benefit, you are not only supporting your employees’ pets. You’re also safeguarding their financial stability and, by extension, their stress levels, mental health, and productivity.

2. Boosting Morale and Loyalty

The connection between an animal’s physical health and its owner’s emotional peace of mind isn’t just a hunch. It’s a documented phenomenon in the corporate world. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) found that 82% of HR professionals have personally observed the mental health benefits of pet ownership among their employees. By supporting their pet’s health, you are directly supporting a primary source of comfort for your people.

3. Valuing an Inclusive Culture

By offering robust pet benefits, you send a powerful message that your organization values all types of families. It is a tangible way to ensure that employees who may not have human children feel equally seen, valued, and supported by their company’s benefits program. This is a subtle but profound way to strengthen your commitment to a truly inclusive and equitable workplace culture.

Building a Smarter Pet Benefit Program: More Than Pet Insurance

While traditional pet insurance is a fantastic tool, basing your entire pet benefits strategy on it is like building a financial wellness program that only offers one type of investment. It’s a powerful option for some, but not all.

Consider the team member who just adopted a senior dog, whose cat has a pre-existing health condition, or whose pet family consists of exotic animals. Most pet insurance won’t provide coverage in these situations.

The Pet Benefits Triad

To create a truly equitable and engaging program, you’ll need a more sophisticated model. We encourage our partners to think in terms of a “Pet Benefits Triad.” This framework is designed to provide meaningful value to every single pet-owning employee in your organization. A modern, effective strategy is built in complementary layers.

Part One: Inclusive Discounts and Services

The first part of the triad is built on immediate and predictable savings, like our Total Pet Plan, which provides everyday discounts on prescriptions, food, and veterinary care. Critically, because it is an insurance alternative, it has no exclusions for pre-existing conditions, age, or breed, providing tangible value for the very employees often left out of insurance-only offerings.

Part Two: Protection Against the Unexpected

The second aspect is traditional, reimbursement-based insurance, like our Wishbone Pet Insurance. This is a powerful risk management tool for catastrophic coverage. It’s designed to protect employees from the financial shock of major accidents, surgeries, and illnesses, making it ideal for those seeking maximum financial protection.

Part Three: Routine Care for Preventative Wellness

The third component is equally important in terms of long-term care. Wellness care plans, such as Wishbone Wellness, provide fast and convenient reimbursement for preventative care typically excluded from insurance, like annual exams, vaccinations, dental, and more. Because it’s not an illness plan, there are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and it costs less than a typical accident and illness policy.

By offering all three plans, you’ll maximize your strategy with a comprehensive approach that provides options for every pet-owning employee. They’ll appreciate being able to choose

the exact coverage that fits their pet’s needs and their family’s budget, ensuring no one is left behind and delivering the highest possible value and engagement for your entire workforce.

The Pet Benefit Solutions Advantage

A sophisticated benefits strategy is only as good as its implementation. Juggling multiple vendors for a single benefit category can create an administrative burden that negates the value.

We Do the Heavy Lifting for You

Our program is designed exclusively for employers and brokers, and that comes with a commitment to partnership. From guided implementation and custom marketing materials to one-on-one dedicated support, our account team eliminates the administrative burden.

We handle the complexities so you can focus on the positive impact of the benefit, not the paperwork.

Proven Results and Unbeatable Value for Employees

This high-touch support, combined with the power of choice, leads to results that are unheard of in the industry. In fact, groups that offer both our Total Pet Plan and Wishbone Pet Insurance see enrollment rates 5-10 times the industry average.

This is proof that employees see and appreciate the unique value of a program that offers a solution for every pet family. With an industry-leading 98% group renewal rate, you can be confident you are offering a benefit that is not only easy to manage but will remain a valued part of your benefits package for years to come.

Making it Easy to Offer a Benefit Employees Will Love

This September, you have an opportunity to move beyond a simple checkbox benefit. A truly strategic pet benefits program—one built on choice, inclusivity, and a deep understanding of employee needs—is a powerful statement about your company’s culture.

With pet benefits now recognized by SHRM as one of the fastest-growing voluntary benefits, your top competitors are already making this a priority. A one-size-fits-all approach no longer provides a competitive edge.

Don’t let your benefits package fall behind. Partner with Pet Benefit Solutions to design a flexible, high-impact program that supports every pet-owning employee in your organization.

Explore our full suite of plans and discover the power of choice at PetBenefits.com.