San Diego Pet Insurance Guide

San Diego pet parents: Whether you’ve got a Lab in La Jolla, or a Pekingese in Pacific Beach, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll take you through the hidden gems and insider tips of being a San Diego pet parent, and while we’re at it, we’ll go through the ins-and-outs of pet insurance so you can keep your furry companion (and your wallet) covered.

What is pet insurance? 

Pet insurance helps cover the costs of your vet bills. Pet owners pay a monthly premium to the insurance company and in exchange, you can care for your canine or feline fur family members without stressing about the costs. 

With Lemonade’s California pet insurance, there are a few different ways to customize your policy with our coverage options: 

For starters, a base Lemonade pet health insurance policy will help cover the costs of tests, treatments, and medication if your dog or cat has an unexpected accident or illness and requires emergency care.

A base policy is great for the unexpected things in your fur fam’s future, but Lemonade also offers  preventative care   packages designed to keep your pet healthy, and helps cover expenses you’re already paying for, such as routine care. By adding this package to a Lemonade policy you’ll also get access to live medical chat via our mobile app and be covered for all kinds of things—like your annual wellness exam fees, blood tests, vaccinations, and more. Some exclusions may apply.

 Lemonade offers a Preventative, Preventative+, and a Puppy/Kitten Preventative package. Depending on your pet’s age, this package covers things like spaying/neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, and flea and tick treatments.

You can also customize your Lemonade policy with a mix and match of optional add-ons like: physical therapy, vet visit fees, dental illness, behavioral conditions, and end-of-life and remembrance—to help take the bite out of pricey treatments, services, and trips to the vet.

Here’s an example of how a Lemonade pet insurance policy works:

1. Buy a policy. You answer a few quick questions about your German Shepherd, Padre, and build your pet’s policy with the help of our friendly AI chatbot. The monthly premium you pay is determined by a few factors, mostly things that you can customize, like your coverage package, your annual deductible, your co-insurance, and the annual coverage limit on your plan. (If you want, you can take a deeper dive into how pet insurance works to help you build your perfect policy.) Pet insurance coverage with Lemonade can cost as little as $10/month. — here’s a handy breakdown of the whole (simple) process.
2. Go to the vet. You rush Padre to the vet after he broke his leg from going too hard at the dog park. The exam, x-ray, and cast for his broken bone cost you $1,000. Woof. But because you have a pet insurance plan, you don’t have to worry about the full amount. Get the scoop on what we cover here. 
3. Get your money back. Padre is safely on the mend and you get up to a $900 reimbursement back in your pocket from Lemonade!

It’s worth noting that as your dog ages, they will require more veterinary care and treatments, which is why it pays to take out a pet insurance policy for your dog as early as possible. If you try to sign your 13-year-old dog up for insurance for the first time, they might be declined due to age-limits; either way, they’re more likely to have pre-existing conditions that won’t be covered by insurance. But if you get your new puppy a Lemonade policy right away, you’ll be able to continue renewing their policy as they age.

Apply now to get your free pet insurance quote.

Top San Diego dog parks 

Energetic pup? Let them run wild in one of San Diego’s many off-leash dog parks. Just make sure your pup is up-to-date on their vaccinations and spayed or neutered before you let them cut loose. 

• Nate’s Point Dog Park. Located on the west mesa of San Diego’s iconic and vast Balboa Park, this enclosed dog park is a pet parent favorite. It features two-acres of grass for pups to roll around in, plenty of shade to cool down in, water fountains, and picnic benches, as well. But Nate’s Point is not the only great dog park in Balboa Park.
• Grape Street Dog Park. At over five acres, Grape Street Dog Park is the largest of Balboa Park’s three dog parks. Located just off a residential neighborhood, visitors are often struck by the grove of eucalyptus trees, giving the park a wild feel. Beyond a lot of room to run around, the park also features drinking fountains for dogs and bathrooms for humans.
• Fiesta Island Dog Beach. Contrary to its name, Fiesta Island Dog Beach is not an island at all. It is a peninsular park located within Mission Bay. Nearly the whole park is off-leash. Pet parents can frolic with their pups on the wavy beach, or check out the calmer water on the bay side.
• Coronado Dog Beach. Directly across from Sunset Park, and right next to the North Island U.S. Naval Station, as well as the historic Hotel del Coronado, this dog beach is known for its stunning scenery. It also has a reputation for being one of the more low-key dog beaches in the San Diego area, making it a great option for dogs that are a little shy.
• Rancho Bernardo Off-Leash Dog Park. At just under three acres, this dog park features three distinct areas: one for big dogs, one for small dogs, and one for dogs of all sizes! Each area has water and water bowls, trees, benches, and waste bags. The park is open year round, however, it should be noted that it may close on very rainy days to prevent the ground cover from getting too muddy.
  
  

Support local San Diego pet shelters

• The Helen Woodward Animal Center. Established in 1972, the Helen Woodward Animal center has been helping animals and humans for over 45 years. It provides educational and therapeutic programs for humans, while also providing care and homes for homeless animals. The shelter runs a number of programs from equine therapy to a companion animal hospital. It also provides meals for the pets of low-income seniors and military veterans with service dogs.
• The Animal Pad. The Animal Pad is a non-profit that focuses on saving dogs from high-kill shelters and the Gulf of Mexico. The shelter gets the dogs medical care, finds foster homes, and eventually also forever homes. They also have a sister shelter in Ensenada, Mexico.
• The Barking Lot. The Barking Lot has been rescuing dogs since 2010. Originally the shelter focused on finding homes for dogs that had been scheduled for euthanasia at kill shelters. However, in 2016, the Barking Lot partnered with the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, an organization that helps rescue dogs out of the meat trade. Once a month, the Barking Lot flies one group of Thai dogs to California to find homes.

• Surfers for Strays. Surfers for Strays was founded in 2016. It is a non-profit and all-volunteer organization that helps to provide spay and neuter services to stray dogs in Mexico. It also focuses on education, rehabilitation, and adoption. In 2021, Surfers for Strays found homes for 118 dogs, and paid for nearly 2,000 Mexican dogs and cats to undergo spay and neuter procedures.

Support San Diego-based pet businesses

Support small San Diego businesses while keeping your best friend totally pampered! 

• Pet Kingdom. Pet Kingdom is the largest independent pet store in San Diego. It serves the needs of all pet parents, stocking supplies for dogs and cats as well as fish, lizards, small animals, and more. All of their staff are experts in their fields, but the store specifically specializes in reptiles, fish, and corals.
• Dog Beach Dog Wash. Established in 1993, Dog Beach Dog Wash has been independently and locally-owned for decades. This Ocean Beach mainstay is only 2.5 blocks from one of the first dog beaches in San Diego. The shop offers the full gamut of grooming services, from a DIY dog wash to skunk treatment. Dog Beach Dog Wash also gives back to the wider community by hosting once a month dog beach clean-ups, and ensuring that everyone can enjoy a clean and safe space to play.
• Kahoots. Kahoots was founded in 1987 as just two men driving on a truck with horse feed. Now, almost 40 years later, Kahoots is a chain of over 20 stores throughout California, (including San Diego) and employs over 200 people. It prides itself in providing quality products for affordable prices. In addition, some locations also provide veterinary services and teeth cleaning.
• Howlistic. Howlistic sets itself apart by pledging to provide holistic care for your pets. It focuses on wellness and preventative care, as well as nutrition, ecology, and community. It carries the best eco-products such as natural flea control, eco-friendly toys and leashes, and unique toys that are made in the USA. In addition, it also hosts a DIY dog wash for your convenience.
• Noah’s Natural Pet Market. Located in Pacific Beach, Noah’s Natural Pet Market stocks only the best and most natural food and supplies for your cat, dog, horse, or small animal. It also provides a free “new pet bundle” of food, supplements, and supplies for new pet parents.

Before we go… 

Isn’t being a pet parent just the best? The companionship, the kisses, the laughter! Pets really add so much to our lives. In fact, San Diego has been ranked the fourth-most dog friendly city nationwide!We love our pets, but sometimes those vet bills can take a real bite out of our wallets, which is why more and more pet parents are choosing to get covered with the best dog insurance plan or cat insurance plan. Learn more about how much pet insurance costs, and whether or not pet insurance is worth it for you.