Brea, Calif. (June 2, 2011) – Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, has donated $10,000 to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) to help provide veterinary care for search and rescue dogs serving in areas damaged by recent tornadoes. The AVMF was established as the charitable arm of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1963. In the last decade, the foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $9 million to help veterinarians help pets.

VPI would like to encourage policyholders, pet owners and anyone else interested in contributing to visit the AVMF site at http://bit.ly/k32kzJ. and select “Tornado and Wildfire Emergency Relief” to donate.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

With more than 485,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education.

VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional CareGuard® for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.