Pet insurance facilitates access to veterinary care that many pet owners could not otherwise afford, directly affecting the welfare outcomes of companion animals requiring expensive treatment.
Veterinary access inequality creates welfare disparities between animals whose owners can afford care and those whose owners cannot. Financial constraints force welfare-compromising decisions that owners do not want to make but have no alternative to. Expanding charitable veterinary provision, improving insurance access, and developing payment plan options are all strategies for reducing the welfare gap created by veterinary cost barriers.