Make pet ownership less hard with Haven Life Plus

Many pet owners think of their furry friends as bundles of pure love. But this love, like all the other kinds, requires work. (Sorry to break it to you.)

So while pet ownership can be hard, whether your chosen companion is a quarantine puppy, an ancient cat or a pot-bellied pig, we’re here to help. Read on to find out how the benefits of Haven Life Plus — the bonus rider that comes at no extra cost to eligible Haven Term policyholders — can support more than just humans.

It keeps things tidy

Cleaning up after your pet can be a challenge — all that hair, all that, ahem, other stuff — but Haven Life Plus can help: digitally, at least. Some of the mess your pet generates is in the form of documents: rabies certificates, vaccine records, licenses, proof of ownership, photographs in the event that Fluffy sneaks out alone… the list goes on.

Arguably the best way to keep all that stuff straight, especially if you travel with your pet and need those things on hand, is with LifeSite, a super-secure digital vault available at no cost to eligible Haven Life customers. LifeSite lets you put all your pet’s crucial documents in one safe, easily accessible place, encrypted at a military grade. (Only the best for Fluffy.)

It looks after your pet when you’re gone

And when we say “gone” we don’t mean “went to work” — we mean “dead.” Sorry to be blunt, but if you should pass away before your pet, you’ll want to make sure it’s taken care of, and we offer a couple of ways to make that happen. (We even have an article about the topic here.)

The first is Lantern, an end-of-life planning service available at no cost for eligible Haven Term policyholders. Lantern allows you to plan your end of life in great detail — funeral music, burial preferences, what to do with your social media accounts. And it can also be used to stipulate what should be done to care for your pet.

Trust & Will is another Plus partner service. It enables you to make a legally binding will (or trust) in less time than it takes to watch an episode of Stranger Things. Among the things you can state in your will is who should take your pet if you die, and how much of your assets should go towards that care.

We should point out that having a term life insurance policy in place can also benefit Fido. No, not because you should leave your estate to your beloved pet. But because your beneficiary (or beneficiaries) can use the payout on anything — including food and care for your pet.

It helps you adapt to your new schedule

If you have a new puppy, you may have noticed its similarities to a new human: very cute, not really able to take care of itself, and completely indifferent to your need for sleep. Puppies wake up when they wake up, and they often make a beeline straight for their owner. If your new bundle of joy is robbing you of shuteye, try TimeShifter, the anti-jet lag app that helps you maximize your sleep, regardless of available time and restrictions. (And stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but: It’s available at no cost for eligible Haven Term policyholders.)

It’s useful if you get scratched

Hey, stuff happens. The occasional scratch is often part of pet ownership, and while you’re unlikely to make a full-on doctor’s appointment if it happens, that doesn’t mean you should ignore it (because infection). MinuteClinic, a no-appointment-needed walk-in option at Target and CVS is a great place to deal with minor medical matters, including those caused by your four-legged, many-clawed friend. Plus, eligible Haven Life customers get discounts.

It helps you bond

Viewed from a human perspective, pets don’t do much. They don’t read books, go to plays, watch sports or enjoy movies. And while they do eat, it’s not like you can really share a meal together. The one shared experience you can truly have is to exercise, and Aaptiv — the fitness app, available at no cost for eligible Haven Life customers — can make that easy for you.

Aaptiv has an encyclopedic array of exercise options, including many that you can do outdoors with your pet. They even have an article about the topic. And if reading all this has made you realize that what you really need is some time away from your pet, Aaptiv has plenty of guided walks you can do alone.