Dr. Chris Brown’s previous partnership with a major Australian pet insurance company has resurfaced after the celebrity veterinarian encouraged pet owners to avoid coverage.
Earlier this week, the 45-year-old Bondi vet told fans with fur babies to avoid pet insurance and put that money in a separate bank account.
But Dr. Brown was previously associated with Medical BankPet Insurance was introduced as an ambassador in 2011, where he said the plan helps pet owners have “a little bit of control over the financial aspect of owning a best friend.”
“There’s no question that pet insurance saves lives,” she said at the time.
On Tuesday, Dr. Brown told the Daily Telegraph shared the money-saving tip of opening a separate pet bank account to cover things like veterinary bills for general check-ups, but also treatment for an injury or illness affecting a pet.
“It all comes down to trying to ration your money in the best way possible,” the Dream Home host told the publication.
‘It’s about staying on top of your health so that little things don’t turn into bigger things because that often leads to that impossible decision that people have to make, which is a reality: the pet or the finances, and you never want to see people in that situation.’
She went on to say that Australia has very few pet insurance options “because so many things are excluded,” and advised pet owners to put the money they would have spent on a policy into a separate bank account.
Dr. Chris Brown’s previous partnership with a major Australian pet insurance company has resurfaced after the celebrity veterinarian encouraged pet owners to avoid coverage.
But pet bank accounts aren’t the only target the former I’m A Celebrity presenter has his sights on, as the engaging TV personality has also continued to support calls for pet care subsidies, including Medicare for animals.
Chris said his third Major Drooly Pet Census, which he will launch on Wednesday, will help provide insight into how the government can best help with the rising cost of pet ownership.
“That’s where the pet census is going to be really interesting because if we can really identify the significant role that pets play in our daily lives and the benefit they have for our communities, then why wouldn’t we consider subsidizing pet care if it’s having such a positive effect on our healthcare system and saving us money in the long run?” she explained.
Chris developed his own “pet census” in 2016 when he discovered that the mandatory Population and Housing Census, which Australians must complete every five years, had removed all questions relating to pets in the home.
The 45-year-old celebrity vet previously partnered with Medibank pet insurance in 2011, where he said: “There is no doubt that pet insurance saves lives.”
Refusing to take part in the survey, Chris created his own version, dedicated to collecting data on pet ownership in Australia.
“I didn’t fill out the census. I haven’t touched it,” he told Nova’s Fitzy and Wippa at the time.
‘I heard rumors that some family members were overlooked by the census: the hairier members of the family.
“Unlike other years, there is not a single question about whether you have pets and what kind of pets you have. This year it has been ignored.”
The Survey Monkey form asks participants how many pets they have, what kind of pets they have, where they sleep, and what they eat.