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3 pet insurance moves new dog owners should make
Pet ownership can be fulfilling and exciting, particularly after adopting or buying a new pet. For dog owners, in particular, there will be many items to account for ranging from vaccinations and veterinarian visits to house training and teaching your dog how to walk on a leash. It’s also smart to consider pet insurance at an early age.
Pet insurance is both a cost-effective and helpful way for owners to reduce pet care costs while maintaining a steady stream of coverage and care for their furry friend. That said, this unique form of insurance doesn’t operate like traditional insurance policies. New dog owners, then, should take certain steps now to protect both their finances and their new pet. Below, we’ll break down three pet insurance moves new dog owners should make now.
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3 pet insurance moves new dog owners should make
Here are three smart pet insurance moves owners of new dogs should consider making now.
Get started
The first pet insurance move new dog owners should make is to simply getting started. Pet insurance will only grow more expensive and less comprehensive the longer owners wait to act. They should look to secure a plan now, then, when premiums will be cheaper and pet insurance companies are more likely to offer more in-depth care. By acting at an early age owners will also circumvent issues with covering their dog’s pre-existing medical conditions. Since a new dog is unlikely to have these issues owners will lock in a better plan than if they had waited for those conditions to develop (pet insurance companies won’t cover pre-existing conditions until they’ve healed completely).
Don’t wait to consider pet insurance. Get a free price quote in less than 30 seconds.
Shop around for providers
There are multiple pet insurance companies on the market right now so don’t feel compelled to accept the first policy you get a quote for. Instead, shop around and see what each provider is willing to offer (and at what price point). You may be surprised to discover some of the items a robust pet insurance policy will cover and you don’t need to necessarily spend a lot to get those protections. You won’t know all of your potential options, however, until you shop around and compare providers, policies and prices.
Speak to your veterinarian
If you have a veterinarian you trust, whether from another pet or just one you’ve recently started using to care for your new dog, then speak to them about pet insurance. Not only is your veterinarian well-versed in your pet’s medical history but they’re also likely familiar with your dog’s breed and medical condition. This knowledge is important as it can help you tailor your potential pet insurance coverage to what your dog needs now or will in the future. By incorporating your veterinarian into the conversation you’ll improve your chances of paying for care that you can actually use – and you’ll save some money in the process.
The bottom line
There are many things to add to the checklist for dog owners. But pet insurance should be near the top of that list. This unique form of protection can safeguard both your wallet and your new dog’s health. To that end, new dog owners should get started early to save money on a policy and shop around to find the best provider for their needs. They should also consider speaking to their veterinarian to more effectively personalize their new dog’s pet insurance options. By making these moves at an early age they can better improve their chances of securing valuable insurance protection for the months and years to come.
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LaMonica McIver wins special House election in New Jersey for late Donald Payne Jr.’s seat
TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver has defeated Republican small businessman Carmen Bucco in a contest in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District that opened up because of the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. in April.
McIver will serve out the remainder of Payne’s term, which ends in January. She and Bucco will face a rematch on the November ballot for the full term.
McIver said in a statement Wednesday that she stands on the “shoulders of giants,” naming Payne as chief among them.
She cast ahead to the November election, saying the right to make reproductive health choices was on the ballot as well as whether the economy should benefit the wealthy or “hard working Americans.”
“I will fight because the purpose of politics and the purpose of our vote is to give the people of our communities and our nation a bold voice,” she said.
Bucco congratulated McIver on the victory in a statement but said he’s looking forward to the rematch in November.
“I am not going anywhere,” he said in an email. “We still have a second chance to make district 10 great again!”
Who are LaMonica McIver and Carmen Bucco?
McIver emerged as the Democratic candidate in a crowded field in the July special election. A member of the city council of New Jersey’s biggest city since 2018, she also worked for Montclair Public Schools as a personnel director and plans to focus on affordability, infrastructure, abortion rights and “protecting our democracy,” she told The Associated Press earlier this summer.
Bucco describes himself on his campaign website as a small-business owner influenced by his upbringing in the foster system. He lists support for law enforcement and ending corruption as top issues.
The 10th District lies in a heavily Democratic and majority-Black region of northern New Jersey. Republicans are outnumbered by more than 6 to 1.
It’s been a volatile year for Democrats in New Jersey, where the party dominates state government and the congressional delegation.
Among the developments were the conviction on federal bribery charges of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who has denied the charges, and the demise of the so-called county party line — a system in which local political leaders give their preferred candidates favorable position on the primary ballot.
Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who’s running for Menendez’s seat, and other Democrats brought a federal lawsuit challenging the practice as part of his campaign to oust Menendez, who has resigned since his conviction.
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Body found near Kentucky shooting site believed to be suspect, officials say
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Sean “Diddy” Combs at same Brooklyn detention center that held R. Kelly, Sam Bankman-Fried, other high-profile inmates
A second judge refused to grant bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs on Wednesday and he could remain in federal custody at a Brooklyn detention center until his trial for sex trafficking charges. Combs joins other high-profile inmates, such as singer R. Kelly, fallen cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, rapper Ja Rule —even Al Sharpton served a brief stint— who were held at the same federal detention center.
Notorious for its horrible conditions —inmates won a $10 million class action settlement after enduring frigid conditions during an 8-day blackout in 2019— the waterfront industrial complex, MDC Brooklyn, houses 1,200 inmates.
Violence and corruption have long plagued the facility; U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown of the Eastern District of New York wrote the detention center had “dangerous, barbaric conditions” in a recent sentencing opinion. Two inmates were stabbed to death in recent months and several correction officers have been convicted for smuggling contraband and accepting bribes.
Combs joins a list of high-profile personalities that have landed at the MDC Brooklyn, partly because the city’s other federal detention center, MDC New York, closed in 2021, also due to horrible conditions. The disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in his cell there in 2019. “Numerous and serious” instances of misconduct among corrections staff gave Epstein the opportunity to kill himself, a subsequent federal watchdog investigation found.
Kelly sued the federal detention center in 2022 for wrongly putting him on suicide watch after his sentencing. Kelly sought $100 million because he said the detention center knew he wasn’t suicidal after he was convicted in 2021 for racketeering and violating the Mann Act, which bars transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
Former crypto billionaire Bankman-Fried survived on bread, water and sometimes peanut butter when he was in the MDC Brooklyn, his attorney said, because the detention center continued to serve him a “flesh diet” despite requests for vegan dishes.
Ja Rule stayed at the MDC Brooklyn for a brief time before being released after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession. Most of his prison time was spent in a state prison in New York.
Sharpton served a 90-day sentence in 2001 and went on a hunger strike for protesting the U.S. Navy bombing of the island of Vieques, in Puerto Rico.
Combs was taken into custody on Monday and according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday he was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
His attorney Marc Agnifilo told CBS News, “It’s impossible to prepare for a trial from where he is,” after a first federal judge denied Combs bail on Tuesday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky agreed with prosecutors who argued the hip-hop mogul, who is accused of using his business empire as a criminal enterprise to conceal his alleged abuse of women, is a flight risk and poses an ongoing threat to the safety of the community.
Agnifilo said the part of the detention center where Combs is being held is “a very difficult place to be.”
contributed to this report.