You think you're choosing between 11 pet insurers. You're really choosing between 3. Take the quiz to find your match.
By Onslow's Team · September 2, 2026
5 questions. One recommendation. Not a quote.
How old is your dog?
Most pet insurance "brands" in Canada are distribution channels for one of three underwriters. Here is who owns what.
Petline (Definity Financial, TSX: DFY)
Petsecure: Most plan options (4 tiers, $1K to unlimited). Dental in all plans. The flagship.
CAA: Same coverage as Petsecure. 13.5% discount for CAA members.
Desjardins: Same coverage. 5–15% discount when bundled with home or auto insurance.
OVMA: Endorsed by Ontario vets. Age-based deductibles that increase as your pet ages.
Sonnet: Simpler: only 2 plans, fixed 80% reimbursement, lower caps ($2.5K/condition). Fully online.
Others: Hudson’s Bay, Toronto Humane Society, The Personal, Nova Scotia SPCA are smaller distribution channels with similar coverage.
JAB/IPG (Independence Pet Group)
Pets Plus Us: Most plan options. 70/80/90% reimbursement. $5K to unlimited. The main brand.
Costco: Same Pets Plus Us plans with a Costco member discount. Requires membership.
24PetWatch: Fixed 80% reimbursement. No accident waiting period. Microchip integration if your pet is registered with them.
Trupanion (NASDAQ: TRUP)
Trupanion: Premium product. 90% reimbursement, unlimited limits, per-condition lifetime deductible. Sold direct at trupanion.com.
PHI Direct: Budget version. Lower premiums but conditions are NOT covered for life (resets annually). $5K–$20K caps.
Fetch (Warburg Pincus)
Fetch: Single brand. Formerly Petplan Canada. Up to 90% reimbursement. No accident waiting period. Not available in Quebec or New Brunswick.
Scroll sideways on mobile. The insurer column stays pinned.
| Insurer | Underwriter | Reimbursement | Annual Limit | Deductible Type | Accident Wait | Illness Wait | Wellness | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trupanion | Trupanion | 90% | Unlimited | Per-condition lifetime ($0–$1K) | 5 days | 30 days | No | 4.5/5 |
| Petsecure | Petline/Definity | 80% | $1K–unlimited | Annual ($100–$500) | 48 hrs | 14 days | By tier | 1.7/5 |
| Fetch | Warburg Pincus/AXIS | Up to 90% | Customizable | Annual | None | Varies | Add-on | 4.1/5 |
| Pets Plus Us | JAB/IPG | 70–90% | $5K–unlimited | Annual ($100–$1K) | Varies | Varies | Add-on | 1.5/5 |
| 24PetWatch | JAB/IPG | 80% | $3K–$20K | Per-condition ($100–$1K) | None | Yes | Add-on | N/A |
| Desjardins | Petline/Definity | 70–80% | $8K–$20K | Per-condition ($150–$500) | 48 hrs | 14 days | Top tier | N/A |
| Sonnet | Petline/Definity | 80% | $2.5K/condition | Per-condition ($300) | 48 hrs | 14 days | No | N/A |
| CAA | Petline/Definity | 70–90% | $5K–$15K | Per-condition ($200+) | 48 hrs | 14 days | Top tier | N/A |
| OVMA | Petline/Definity | 80% | $2.5K–unlimited | Age-based ($100–$500+) | 48 hrs | 14 days | Top tier | N/A |
| PHI Direct | Trupanion | Varies | $5K–$20K | Varies | Varies | Varies | No | N/A |
| Costco | JAB/IPG | 80% | Varies | Standard | Standard | Standard | No | N/A |
56.5%
industry payout ratio
14–34%
2026 Ontario premium increases
$866/mo
one Toronto owner after 2 years of increases
CBC Go Public
Petsecure denied a claim for injuries from "jumping, running, slipping, tripping or playing."
Reversed after CBC intervened.
CP24 (2026)
Ontario woman's premiums went from $286/mo to $866/mo in 2 years.
Industry pattern
No Canadian regulator publishes claim denial rates.
Trupanion is the most transparent about its payout ratio (~70%) because it is publicly traded. Most other insurers do not publish this number.
These apply to all insurers. No exceptions.
Pre-existing conditions. Permanently excluded by all insurers.
Bilateral conditions. If one knee is pre-existing, the other is excluded too.
Cosmetic/elective procedures. Ear cropping, tail docking, and similar.
Breeding costs. Pregnancy, whelping, and related complications.
Most dental. Except Petsecure, which includes dental in all plans.
Most US insurers don't work here
Lemonade, ASPCA, and Pumpkin are US-licensed only and not available to Canadian residents. Spot and Embrace do offer coverage in Canada but are not included in this comparison. If you buy a US-only policy as a Canadian resident, claims could be denied.
The math depends on your dog. The industry pays back 56.5 cents of every dollar in premiums. If your dog never has a major illness or injury, you will pay more than you get back. But a single cruciate ligament surgery costs $4,000 to $8,000 in Toronto. Insurance is a bet against catastrophic costs, not routine ones.
Most pet insurance "brands" in Canada are distribution channels for the same underwriters. Petline (owned by Definity Financial) underwrites 9+ brands including Petsecure, Sonnet, CAA, OVMA, and Desjardins. The coverage terms are similar across all of them. The differences are mostly in marketing, pricing tiers, and discount partnerships.
Two main drivers: your dog ages (older dogs cost more to insure) and vet costs rise (18% inflation since 2022). Some insurers also use geographic pricing, so Toronto and North York see higher increases than rural areas. There is no regulatory cap on pet insurance premium increases in Ontario.
Yes, but any condition your dog already has becomes pre-existing with the new insurer and will not be covered. This is the biggest lock-in mechanism. If your dog developed a chronic condition while insured, switching means losing coverage for that condition permanently.
Trupanion is the only insurer that uses this model. You pay your deductible once per condition, for the life of your pet. If your dog tears a cruciate ligament, you pay the deductible the first time. Every future claim for that same condition is covered at 90% with no additional deductible. Other insurers reset the deductible annually.
Sources: NAPHIA State of Industry 2025; HelloSafe Pet Insurance Barometer; CP24; CBC Go Public; Forbes Advisor Canada; Trustpilot; PetInsuranceReview.com.
Related: vet ownership in Toronto · cost of owning a dog
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