PD Insurance, a specialist pet insurer, has entered the New Zealand market. Headquartered in Auckland, the firm is owned by Pacific International Insurance, which has operated in the country for 20 years.
Pacific International Insurance, in turn, is owned by South Africa-based Badger International, which was founded by current CEO Brad Hogan 25 years ago. Hogan (pictured right) recently relocated to Auckland, and is working closely with the PD Insurance team.
PD Insurance offers a month-to-month payment model, which does not lock customers into a contract, allowing them to cancel anytime without penalty.
Industry veteran Michelle Le Long (pictured left) will lead PD Insurance as its head of New Zealand operations. According to Le Long, the company’s goal is to empower pet owners to make easy, quick, care-based decisions on their pet’s health without worrying about cost.
“We have tailored our offering to pet parents who want easy insurance paired with fast and fair claims resolutions,” she said. “New Zealanders love their dogs and cats, and we are here to make sure their pets get the care they deserve with no-hassle, high-value cover.”
Le Long noted that New Zealand pet owners are underinsured, with only 15% of the over 1,000 respondents in a survey conducted by the company saying that they have some form of insurance cover for their pets.
“New Zealanders share their homes with over 1.2 million cats and 851,000 dogs. When you consider the low percentage of pet owners with any insurance cover, it is obvious the market is ripe for disruption,” she said.
According to PD Insurance, it is a proud partner of no-kill animal shelter Helping You Help Animals (HUHA). A portion of every premium will be donated to HUHA to help rescue, rehabilitate and rehome hundreds of animals every year.
