(NAPS)—Company benefits are going to the dogs—and cats—and birds—and even some iguanas.

As companies seek innovative, low-cost ways to keep employees happy, many now provide the additional perk of health insurance for pets.

This insurance helps pet owners obtain sophisticated veterinary treatment. For example, employees get a group discount on Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) plans, available in payroll and non-payroll deduction forms, with additional savings offered for multiple pets. The savings provide an extra benefit for pet-owning employees to help protect their pets.

“When we added the Veterinary Pet Insurance plan as a benefit, our employees were pleased that this was offered to them,” said Brian Clelland, director of benefits and administration for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Offering it as a benefit is also appealing to many hospitals nationwide. With the widespread shortage of nurses and other medical field staff, providing this unique benefit makes some hospitals stand out from the rest.

Currently, more than 900 companies offer Veterinary Pet Insurance as a voluntary benefit, including companies as varied as The Weather Channel, GMAC, Navy Federal Credit Union, and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) 2002 Household Pet Survey, Americans spent $19 billion on veterinary care and medications in 2001—an increase of nearly $8 billion in five years. With the rapidly advancing technology of veterinary services and the rising cost of veterinary care, pet owners often need the assistance that pet insurance can offer.

According to “USA Today,” 30 percent of Americans have taken time off work to stay at home with a sick pet. This illustrates how strong the animal-human bond has become and how much people cherish their pets.

At the same time that veterinary treatment is becoming more sophisticated, the pet population is rapidly increasing. Today, there is a total of 61.6 million dogs, 68.9 million cats and 10.1 million birds living as pets in the U.S., according to the AVMA 2002 Household Pet Survey. The large number of pets implies that more people are pet owners, and companies are recognizing this and may offer pet insurance as an employee benefit.

Adding Veterinary Pet Insurance to a voluntary benefits package is an easy and competitive way to make a company’s overall offering even more compelling. There is no additional cost or overhead, since VPI does all the back-end administration. The benefit shows concern for the employee, recognizing society’s changing attitude toward pets. It also increases employee retention and morale, which can lead to increased profitability, reduced turnover and improved productivity.

“It’s great to see so many companies recognize the importance of adding new benefits like pet insurance for their employees,” said Bill Gorman, VPI group sales manager. “A company may elect to have pet insurance coverage with as few as 100 eligible employees.”

Veterinary Pet Insurance is the nation’s oldest and largest health insurance plan. To learn more about offering VPI plans as a benefit, visit eb.petinsurance.com or for general VPI inquiries call 1-800-USA-PETS.