“Multiple pet owners have experienced, more than most, the joys and costs of owning a pet,” said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary officer for VPI. “VPI Pet Insurance policies are a smart way to ensure that the joy is multiplied and not the medical costs.”

VPI encourages policyholders to enroll each of their pets by offering multiple pet discounts. Policyholders with two to three pets receive a 5 percent discount on each pet’s base medical plan, and those with four or more pets receive a 10 percent discount on each pet’s base medical plan.

Several of VPI’s multiple pet policyholders take advantage of the fact that VPI is the only major pet insurance provider in the United States with plans for avian and exotic pets, which they own in addition to the traditional dog or cat. Some of the atypical household pets covered by VPI Pet Insurance policies include hedgehogs, gerbils, ducks, chameleons, goats, boa constrictors, toucans, geckos, chinchillas, pot belly pigs, and anacondas.

Mark and Sandra Milroy of El Cajon, Calif., are proud multiple pet owners, with 11 birds, two dogs, a guinea pig, a tortoise and a turtle – all insured by VPI. Mark Milroy, who grew up on a farm, wanted his daughters to learn to be responsible for animals.

“Obviously, we use our insurance a lot,” said Mark Milroy. “We believe in taking care of our animals and, sometimes, the only way to accomplish this is with outside assistance. If you have your animals insured, you know they are going to be taken care of. You know they are going to receive that third-party help when they need it.”

Some people, like the Milroys, choose to care for multiple pets. Others come upon them more by chance – or accident. Joyce Varela, a VPI policyholder from Lancaster, Calif., tried to keep her three imported French mastiffs from breeding, but when they escaped from the house one day, it was only a few months until she had a litter of 10 puppies. Varela, who worked in a veterinary clinic for 10 years, knew the potential health care costs of raising 13 dogs and wasted no time purchasing insurance for all of them.

“If you have the animals, you have to be responsible for them,” said Varela. “One veterinary bill can cost thousands of dollars, but when you have insurance, you have no excuse not to take your dogs to the doctor.”

Anthony Parsons, a policyholder in Minneapolis, did not hesitate when a friend asked him to adopt three cats rescued from Hurricane Katrina, even though he already had five cats and two dogs.

“You kind of get a surprised look from some people, like, ‘Really? Eight cats?’” said Parsons. “My wife and I both had many pets over our lifetime. Having pets and having them insured was never a question. We’ve lost pets before to illness, and we just want the peace of mind that if anything happened outside of our financial means, we’d be able to take care of it.”