When Mary Neville of Palm Bay, Fla., noticed that her new work schedule was taking a toll on her Shih Tzu Rosie, she decided it was time to find her a companion. “Rose had never been by herself more than four to five hours at a time,” explained Mary. “Now I was gone from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. and she became very depressed.”

Mary began searching for breeds that would be compatible with Rosie and decided on another Shih Tzu. After unsuccessful trips to the pound, she connected with a local breeder who invited Mary to come meet four new puppies. “One of the puppies came over to me, extended his paw and stroked my hand three times in a row,” recalled Mary. “He was cream and the color of oxford shoe polish, a rich warm, brown with deep brown eyes and the most beautiful eyelashes I have ever seen.” She had found Rosie’s new mate.

According to Mary, she tried several different names for him before deciding on “A Classic Oxferd.” “He was a curious, laid back kind of guy who, in some ways, reminded me of a ‘Wookie’ in the Star Wars movies. But that rich, warm brown oxford color and laid back style of his reminded me of a comfortable pair of oxford loafers,” explained Mary. “When I took him to the veterinarian for his first check up, he said, ‘He’s almost perfect, a classic Shih Tzu.’ That’s when I knew he was ‘A Classic Oxferd.’”

Rosie and Oxy are quite the couple, according to Mary, and are as devoted to each other as they are to their owner. Mary is equally dedicated to her fur-babies and strives to give them the best possible care. “When I take a pet into my life, I mean it to be until one of us is gone,” said Mary. “I am responsible for them and I want their lives be as happy as they make mine. VIP Pet Insurance helps me keep that promise to them. I can ensure they get the care they need, which is just as important as the care they give me.”

Mary Neville
VPI Policyholder Since 2003

Only four months after adopting two kittens, Blanket and Wilco, from the local ASPCA, Bonnie Thurston of New York, NY, lost one of her new additions to Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). The incurable disease took Blanket’s life when he was only 9 ½ months old, and left Bonnie and her partner devastated. “For a long time, we didn’t think of bringing in another animal,” recalled Bonnie. “Although Wilco seemed to miss his brother, he also seemed to be OK as an only cat.”

A few months later, Bonnie and her partner were shopping for a new scratching post at a local pet store. While they were there, they spotted Maggie, a black domestic shorthair, sleeping behind the glass. “Cats from New York City’s Animal Care and Control agency were up for adoption that day,” said Bonnie. “We decided to play with one or two of them. When we held Maggie, she seemed very relaxed and purred instantly before falling asleep in my partner’s arms.” After such an impression, it’s no surprise the couple adopted the lovable kitten and brought her home to befriend Wilco.

According to Bonnie, their newest kitten was a perfect match, apart from one tiny detail. “The name ‘Maggie’ never seemed to fit,” confessed Bonnie. “We have always had animals with names inspired by music or musicians. There's a band called the Dead Weather that we absolutely love and their front woman Alison Mosshart is one of the best live performers we've seen, so for a moment, we thought about Mosshart, but Weather made more sense to us.”

With the perfect new companion for Wilco and the ideal name, there was only one thing left to do. “When we adopted Weather, we immediately enrolled her with VPI Pet Insurance,” said Bonnie. “When our kitten Blanket died at 9 ½ months old, we were beside ourselves and had spent nearly $4,000 in less than a month trying to save him. We purchased pet insurance for both of our cats because we wanted to make sure we were never in a similar situation again.”

Bonnie Thurston
VPI Policyholder Since 2010