A broken pelvis and a $10K vet bill: How a Utah family is navigating pet insurance
by Gabby Peterson, Deseret News · KSL.comEstimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — A crushed pelvis.
That was the diagnosis for Mike and Whitney Weiss' beloved 3-year-old mixed-breed dog, Stella, after she was run over by a car on the family's Oakley, Summit County, property last month. The treatment for the dog included orthopedic surgery to re-pin her pelvis together. The Weisses have spent roughly $10K in veterinary bills for Stella, whose recovery has a timeline of roughly eight weeks, according to the family.
The incident has led the Weisses on a confusing back and forth process with insurance representatives with the question at the center of it all being: With pets being classified as personal property under Utah law, who should foot the bill for Stella's care?
A pet owner's worst nightmare
With the Weisses living in a relatively rural area in Utah, wildlife roaming around their property is quite common. To prevent Stella from chasing animals that venture into their yard, the Weisses regularly leash the dog on a 50-foot lead line so that she can enjoy roaming the property while still being contained.
On Aug. 12, Mike placed the lead on Stella to enjoy the outdoors with their other dog while he finished some work inside the house, "as I've done a million times," he told the Deseret News in an interview. Shortly after, the couple's friend who lives in a separate dwelling on their property brought Stella to Mike, saying the dog may have been hit by a large truck that was in the process of parking in their driveway. The driver was a friend of a friend and someone Mike and Whitney hadn't met before. He was on the property that day to do some work on their tenant's house.
"He had run over her lead line and she had nowhere to go except under his rear tires," the Weisses said.
After a visit to an emergency vet clinic in Salt Lake City to determine the extent of Stella's injuries, the Weisses took their dog to Bark City Veterinary Specialists in Park City to receive orthopedic surgery for her pelvis and hip. Bark City was able to schedule Stella's surgery for the following day after her injury.
Roughly one to two days after the accident and after Stella's initial surgery, Mike reached out to the auto insurer of the driver who the family says struck their dog.
Mike said the claims adjuster they initially spoke with told them that Stella's expenses would be covered. "I started tearing up and she did too," he said of the claims adjuster, adding that the good news was "a really sweet moment" amid the stressful ordeal.
The Weisses say they were instructed by the insurance company to send in all relevant bills and any upcoming cost estimates, because there was a possibility of a second surgery being needed to adjust a screw that had moved slightly in Stella's hip. They were also asked for additional photos of their property and Stella's leash, along with labels for where the dog and the car were at the time of the accident.
The call that changed everything
But about two weeks later, the Weisses received a call from a different representative — and it wasn't good news.
Mike told the Deseret News that this representative said the insurance company would not be covering any of Stella's veterinary costs. Mike said the representative told him they determined that their driver was not liable for hitting Stella on the Weisses' property. The reason? That 50-foot lead line that Stella was leashed on; "because the lead allowed Stella, on our property, to cross where cars can go in our driveway," Mike said.
The driver, according to Mike, admitted to him that he simply didn't see Stella and he apologized for hitting her. According to the Weisses, they have consulted professionals regarding their claim, all of whom have advised them that despite the leash, Stella's costs should be covered under the driver's auto insurance policy.
During a conversation with their own insurance provider, Whitney said, it was explained to them that, generally, "personal auto policy includes coverage for bodily injury and property damage liability. These are the primary coverages required by the state of Utah. Your dog is considered your private property."
"Our dog was purposefully leashed so that she was going to be solely on her property and not in danger's way," Mike said.
After some back and forth, the driver's auto insurance company offered to give them about $1,000 for follow-up vet visits after Stella's surgery, but Mike did not accept the offer, as this would officially close the claim. He said he plans to fight the decision, as they had already spent roughly ten times that amount on Stella's care, and it's money they can't get back.
The gray area of insurance coverage
The stress of having to carry their sedated dog to the lawn to use the bathroom and being forced to keep her in a confined kennel "has been exacerbated by the financial position we are now in," according to Whitney. And the Weisses' financial predicament is not entirely uncommon. "Americans spent an estimated $38 billion on health care and related services for companion animals in 2023," The Atlantic reported.
The couple, who work in mental health care, say the time commitment for Stella's care has taken a toll on both their personal and professional lives. "I work for myself. Whitney works for herself, and one of us has had to be home with the dog 24 hours a day for the last month, and it's been so incredibly difficult and stressful," Mike said.
Prior to the accident, Stella also regularly accompanied her owners to sessions, and her absence has been felt by everyone. "Our clients have become attached to her," Whitney told the Deseret News, explaining that Stella is part of their work team. "It's been really hard on people."