Boasting miles of riverside trails, acres of green parks, and dozens of pet-friendly businesses, Pennsylvania’s second largest city is a great place to be a pet parent. Whether you’ve got a Shi Tzu in Shadyside, or a Burmese in Beechview, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll take you through the hidden gems and insider tips of being a Pittsburgh pet owner, and while we’re at it, we’ll go through the ins-and-outs of pet insurance so you can keep your furry companion (and your wallet) covered.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance assists in covering the costs of your vet bills. You pay a premium each month to the insurance company, and in return, you can care for your canine or feline fur fam without having to worry about how much it will cost.
With Lemonade pet insurance, there are numerous ways to customize your policy with our coverage options:
To begin with, a base Lemonade pet health insurance policy will assist in covering the costs of medication, tests, and treatments if your cat or dog has an unexpected accident or illness.
A base policy is excellent for the unexpected things in your fur fam’s future. Still, Lemonade also offers preventative care packages, which are designed to keep your pet healthy and help cover expenses you’re probably paying for anyway. By adding this package to a Lemonade policy, you’ll also get access to a live medical chat option and will get covered for all kinds of things—like your annual blood tests, vaccinations, wellness exam, and more. There may be some applicable exclusions.
Lemonade offers a Preventative, Preventative+, and a Puppy/Kitten Preventative package. Depending on your pet’s age, this package covers things like spaying/neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, and flea and tick treatments.
You can also customize your Lemonade policy with a mix and match of optional add-ons like: physical therapy, vet visit fees, dental illness, behavioral conditions, and end-of-life and remembrance—to help take the bite out of pricey treatments, services, and trips to the vet.
Here’s an example of how a Lemonade pet insurance policy works:
- Buy a policy. You answer a few quick questions about your German Shepherd, Pirate, and build your pet’s policy with the help of our friendly AI chatbot. The monthly premium you pay is determined by various factors, primarily things that you can customize, like your annual deductible, co-insurance, coverage package, and the annual limit on your plan. (If you would like, you can take a deeper dive into how pet insurance works to help you create your perfect policy.) Pet insurance coverage with Lemonade can cost as low as $10/month. Here’s a handy breakdown of the whole (simple) process.
- Go to the vet. You rush Pirate to the vet after he broke his leg from playing too rough at the dog park. The exam, x-ray, and cast cost you $1,000. Woof. But since you have pet insurance, you don’t have to worry about the total amount. Find out what pet insurance covers here.
- Get your money back. Pirate is safely on the mend, and you get up to a $900 reimbursement back in your pocket from Lemonade!
It’s worth noting that as your dog ages, they will require more veterinary care and treatments, which is why it pays to take out a pet insurance policy for your dog as early as possible. If you try to sign your 13-year-old dog up for insurance for the first time, they might be declined due to their age; either way, they’re more likely to have pre-existing conditions that won’t be covered by insurance. But if you get your new puppy a Lemonade policy right away, you’ll be able to continue renewing their policy as they age.
Apply now to get your free pet insurance quote.
Top Pittsburgh dog parks
Energetic pup? Let them run wild in one of Pittsburgh’s many off-leash dog parks. Just make sure your pup is up-to-date on their vaccinations and spayed or neutered before you let them cut loose.
- Riding Meadow Park, Fox Chapel. The borough of Fox Chapel has preserved the area’s natural rural character, which makes the trails of Riding Meadow Park a great place to explore. A stream running through the area is perfect for cooling off on hot summer days.
- Bernard Dog Run, Lawrenceville. A community-run dog park, this park is known for its friendly locals who make it a welcoming place for your dog to get some off-leash time. The terrain is mulch, with numerous trees for shade.
- North Park Dog Park, North Park. One of the biggest parks in the city, set in the 3,075 acres of North Park, this off-leash area offers plenty of space for urban pups to have a good run around. The nearby car wash on Wildwood Road has a dog wash for getting clean on muddy days.
- Frick Park Off-Leash Area, Squirrel Hill. Another large park for urban dogs, the grassy off-leash area at Frick Park features natural surroundings with lots of trees and a stream to explore and play in. There is a water fountain on site to stay hydrated.
- Aspinwall Recreational Area, Aspinwall. In summer, the large fenced-in Aspinwall recreational area provides plenty of fun for humans, with a baseball diamond, playground, and basketball court. But in winter, the whole area is turned over to our canine pals, offering something a little different for them to explore and enjoy.
Support local Pittsburgh animal shelters
- Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. One of Pennsylvania’s largest animal welfare charities, HARP runs two animal hospitals, offering veterinary care, two animal shelters for rehoming homeless pets, and a wildlife rehabilitation center for injured wildlife. Each year, the charity’s two veterinary clinics spay and neuter over 7,000 animals, and treat more than 6,500 pets. They also treat more than 4,000 injured wild animals, including mammals, birds and reptiles.
- Paws Across Pittsburgh. A foster-based volunteer group, Paws Across Pittsburgh is on a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome unwanted, stray, or homeless pets. Their team of foster families provide health care, socialization ,and healthy nutrition to the pets in their care while they look for suitable forever homes. Paws Across Pittsburgh also offers training in force-free pet training methods for owners, encouraging compassionate pet ownership.
- The Foster Farm. Another foster-based volunteer organization, the Foster Farm is a network of family homes that take in, rehabilitate, and rehome neglected or homeless animals. Their dedicated team goes the extra mile to ensure that the animals they place with adoptive families are well-suited to their new homes. They take pride in helping the animals in their care to settle in, and quickly become loved family members in their new forever homes.
- Animal Lifeline Pittsburgh. This non-profit was originally established to spay and neuter homeless cats and dogs, and to provide treatment for pets in families who couldn’t pay their veterinary bills. Animal lifeline has since extended its impact to also transporting homeless pets due to be put down to shelters without enough space, providing a much needed lifeline—and a second chance to find a forever home—for Pittsburgh-area homeless pets.
Support Pittsburgh-based pet businesses
Support small Pittsburgh businesses while keeping your best friend totally pampered!
- Big Dog Coffee Shop, Sarah St. We all love to share a coffee with our friends, but too often that means leaving our furry best friend at home. Not at the Big Dog Coffee Shop. Dogs of all sizes, big and small, are welcome to join their owners for a freshly ground cup of coffee with a tasty treat to eat on the side.
- Black Cat Market, Penn Ave. There’s no need for coffee lovers who are feline friendly to be left out. You can share a cat-puccino with a fluffy cat pal at the Black Cat cat café, and if you really hit it off, their 24 cats are up for adoption to good homes. The Market also acts as a community center, with a library, yoga classes, and more.
- Misty Pines Pet Co., Sewickley. Twenty minutes from Pittsburgh city center lies the rolling hills of Misty Pines; 25 acres dedicated to pets’ health and comfort. Misty Pines offers pet grooming, doggy daycare, and training sessions designed to help you enjoy a happy, healthy relationship with your dog. They also have a dog park on site, which can be enjoyed for a small fee, and if your dog doesn’t want to go home at the end of the day, he doesn’t have to: they offer overnight boarding, giving owners peace of mind that their pets are having the time of their lives.
- Jenny Karlsson Photography, Allegheny County. Our pets are more than ‘just’ a dog or cat, they are treasured family members. As such, they deserve to be remembered long after they’re gone, and what better way to celebrate their lives than to immortalize them in art? Jenny Karlsson specializes in contemporary pet photography, capturing that unique bond between pet and owner. Her images are relaxed, humorous, and place your pet at the heart of your home, making memories that will last.
Before we go…
Isn’t being a pet parent just the best? The companionship, the kisses, the laughter! Pets really add so much to our lives. The love that Pittsburgh pet parents have for their furry companions is real. Woof.
We love our pets, but sometimes those vet bills can take a real bite out of our wallets, which is why more and more pet parents are choosing to get covered with a dog insurance plan or a cat insurance plan. Learn more about how much pet insurance costs, and whether or not pet insurance is worth it for you.
