Over the last month I’ve been telling friends and family about my decision to join Woody in co-founding Pawlicy Advisor, an online pet insurance marketplace. Reactions have been a mix of the following:

“That’s awesome! I remember how confusing the process was when I was buying insurance for my dog.”

“That’s awesome! I’ve heard about it but never really understood what was covered and didn’t see the need.”

“That’s awesome….what’s pet insurance?”

As someone who adopted their first pet earlier this year, I remember being confused about the entire insurance buying process. I was a price-conscious consumer who wanted to make sure that my policy would cover the conditions and situations that affected my specific pet, but struggled to find offerings that could provide me simple, unbiased advice about my situation. Pawlicy Advisor aims to fix this problem. We’re excited to provide a new level of transparency to consumers who are experiencing similar levels of confusion while shopping for their pet’s policy.

For people who haven’t considered pet insurance, there’s a huge opportunity to help educate the market. Pet insurance is only purchased by 1% of pet owners in the US (compared to 25–50% in some European countries), but the industry is rapidly growing. Using traditional advertising channels, along with strategic partnerships, Pawlicy Advisor will help accelerate this growth.

When unexpected medical expenses come up, owners should never need to make the tough decision about whether they can afford to keep their pet alive. We’re on a mission to help people be proactive about their pet’s wellbeing.

It’s early days for Pawlicy Advisor but we’re excited about the future. If you’re interesting in learning more about the company as we progress, feel free to join our mailing list or reach out to either of us directly.