I have policies on both of my dogs, just in case something major were to happen. The yearly shots and occasional minor visits aren't too bad to swallow, but my one dog had an intestinal obstruction which required surgeryand the bill was over $1300. With VPI you have to pay the vet upfront, but just bring a claim form with you to the vet and have it filled out and submitting is easy, either mail or fax it in. Average turn around is 2-3 weeks and I received $1100 reimbursement on the $1300 bill...that really helped, now I can use that to pay the credit card. Just be careful, there are a lot of things not covered, but it is worth it to me for the unexpected things that can happen with pets