Petline Insurance

What Petline Insurance does

Petline Insurance Company, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the first and only licensed insurance company in Canada focused exclusively on pet health insurance. Operating as part of the Definity family of companies, Petline underwrites and distributes pet insurance products across at least nine branded programs, including its flagship direct brand Petsecure, the budget-focused Peppermint, and white-label/affinity products for OVMA, Desjardins, The Personal, Pet Shield, Sonnet, Toronto Humane Society, and Nova Scotia SPCA. The company has protected more than 1.3 million dogs and cats since inception and holds an AM Best A- (Excellent) financial strength rating. Underwriting is conducted by Western Financial Insurance Company.

Petline generates revenue primarily through recurring insurance premiums collected across its direct-to-consumer brands and white-label partner programs, with policies billed monthly and coverage options ranging from basic accident/illness to comprehensive plans including preventive care. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer via Petsecure and Peppermint websites and call centres, white-label partnerships with financial institutions and insurers, veterinary clinic point-of-sale referrals through a national network of Territory Managers, and co-branded products distributed through animal welfare organizations at point of adoption. The company employs approximately 150 staff, including a bilingual Customer Care Centre staffed by licensed Insurance Advisors and a Claims and Underwriting department staffed by Animal Health Technicians with at least three years of veterinary practice experience. Technology disclosures are limited to call centre support systems, automated claims decision processing, and a 24/7 veterinarian claims hotline unique to the OVMA program; no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are described.

The business model is differentiated by its white-label architecture: a single specialist pet health insurer underwrites products distributed by partners who control customer-facing branding, pricing, and distribution channels. This creates diversified channel reach while concentrating underwriting risk and actuarial data within Petline. The company is Canada-only, with products available nationwide but restricted by provincial availability, and is structurally tied to the Canadian veterinary and animal welfare ecosystem through partnerships with OVMA, CVMA, BC SPCA, Nova Scotia SPCA, Toronto Humane Society, Calgary Humane Society, the Farley Foundation, and other organizations.

Name

Petline Insurance

Legal name

Petline Insurance Company

Website

https://petlineinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Petline Insurance is a Canada-only pet health insurance underwriter operating since 1989, distributing coverage through nine branded programs including Petsecure, Peppermint, and white-label partnerships with OVMA, Desjardins, and The Personal, serving individual pet owners nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Health Insurance

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421)

SIC

Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accident & Supplemental (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAKAA), Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S) (FSAJAKAI)

Keywords

• Pet health insurance
• Veterinary expense coverage
• Accident and illness plans
• Pet wellness coverage
• White-label underwriting

Headquarters

HQ city

Winnipeg

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pet Insurance Premiums (Direct Brands): Petline collects recurring insurance premiums from policyholders across its direct-to-consumer brands including Petsecure and Peppermint. Policies are underwritten by Western Financial Insurance Company.
2. White-Label Underwriting for Partners: Petline underwrites insurance products distributed under third-party brands (OVMA, Desjardins, The Personal, Toronto Humane Society, Nova Scotia SPCA, Pet Shield, Sonnet). Revenue is generated through premium income from these white-label programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Petline Insurance Company underwrites pet health insurance for dogs and cats in Canada under multiple branded programs, including its flagship Petsecure brand and white-label/co-branded products distributed through partners such as OVMA, Desjardins, The Personal, Toronto Humane Society, Nova Scotia SPCA, Pet Shield, and Sonnet. Coverage spans accidents, illness, preventive care, dental, alternative therapy, behavioural therapy, and medical devices. The company collects recurring monthly insurance premiums and processes claims through in-house Claims and Underwriting staff who are licensed Animal Health Technicians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Petsecure: Canada's largest and most-trusted pet insurance company established in 1989, offering comprehensive coverage including preventive care.
• Peppermint

Products and services

• Petsecure Pet Health Insurance Comprehensive pet health insurance for dogs and cats, including preventive care coverage, distributed directly to consumers across Canada. Underwritten by Western Financial Insurance Company.
• Peppermint Pet Insurance Cost-effective direct-to-consumer pet insurance offering four plan tiers (Lite, Base, Plus, Prime) for Canadian pet owners covering accidents, illness, alternative therapy, behavioural therapy, and medical devices.
• OVMA Pet Health Insurance Pet health insurance designed and backed by Ontario veterinarians, underwritten by Petline. Features 80% reimbursement of treatment costs including exam fees and taxes, underwriting at time of issue with no pre-existing condition exclusions, direct reimbursement to veterinary practices, 24/7 veterinarian claims hotline, loyalty discounts, and dental coverage.
• Desjardins Pet Insurance Program Pet insurance distributed under the Desjardins brand and underwritten by Petline, available to all Canadians to help keep pets healthy and provide necessary care.
• The Personal Pet Insurance Program Pet insurance underwritten by Petline and distributed under The Personal brand to members and employees of participating professions such as the Canadian military, engineers, firefighters, and healthcare professionals.
• Toronto Humane Society Pet Health Insurance Co-branded pet health insurance offered in partnership with the Toronto Humane Society, providing coverage for dental, alternative, preventive treatments, behavioural therapy, and accident/illness protection for Greater Toronto Area pet owners.
• Nova Scotia SPCA Pet Health Insurance Lifelong pet health insurance offered to dog and cat adopters from the Nova Scotia SPCA, underwritten by Petline, covering accidents and illnesses.
• Pet Shield Insurance White-labeled pet insurance underwritten by Petline, offering coverage for dogs and cats with special coverage and additional member benefits.
• Sonnet Pet Insurance Pet insurance distributed under the Sonnet brand (by Definity), covering unexpected vet visits for cats and dogs, underwritten by Petline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protected over 1.3 million pets since inception (approximately 30 years)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Nova Scotia SPCAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2017Nova Scotia SPCA Pet Health Insurance launched April 3, 2017. Every pet guardian adopting a dog or cat from Nova Scotia SPCA can purchase lifelong protection. Nova Scotia SPCA has provided humane care to animals for 140 years.
• Toronto Humane SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2016Toronto Humane Society Pet Health Insurance launched October 17, 2016. Offers comprehensive product with dental, alternative, preventive treatments, behavioral therapy, and accident/illness coverage in four plan levels. Distributed online and by phone to Greater Toronto Area pet owners.
• Desjardins Pet Insurance ProgramcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2013Desjardins Pet Insurance Program launched January 2013, available to all Canadians. Petline underwrites the insurance distributed under Desjardins' brand. Coverage helps keep pets healthy and provides necessary care.
• The Personal Pet Insurance ProgrammajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 20 July 2012The Personal Pet Insurance Program launched July 20, 2012, offering pet insurance to members and employees of participating professions including Canadian military, engineers, firefighters, and healthcare professionals.
• Petsecure (Petline's own flagship brand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPetsecure is Petline's own core brand and Canada's largest pet health insurance company, established 1989. Petsecure offers comprehensive coverage including preventive care and is sold directly to consumers. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary underwritten by Western Financial Insurance Company.
• OVMA (Ontario Veterinary Medical Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOVMA Pet Health Insurance is the first pet insurance program designed and backed by Ontario's veterinarians. Features include no-surprise coverage, 80% reimbursement, same-day claims processing, 24/7 vet hotline, and a portion of proceeds supporting the Farley Foundation. Launched January 2018 at OVMA Conference.
• Pet Shield InsurancemajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPet Shield provides peace of mind that dogs and cats can receive medical care without worrying about costly vet bills. Plans include special coverage and additional member benefits. Distributed via www.petshield.ca.
• Sonnet Pet InsurancemajorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSonnet Pet Insurance (by Definity) covers unexpected vet visits for cats and dogs. Distributed via sonnet.ca/pet-insurance and phone (1.888.920.7180). Part of the Definity family of companies.
• BC SPCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBC SPCA (British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is a strategic partner committed to building awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership in British Columbia.
• NS SPCAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNova Scotia SPCA is a strategic partner committed to building awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership in Nova Scotia. Co-branded insurance product launched in 2017.
• Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCVMA is a strategic partner committed to helping build awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership amongst Canadians.
• Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCFHS is a strategic partner committed to helping build awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership amongst Canadians.
• Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerARF is a strategic partner committed to helping build awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership.
• The Farley FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Farley Foundation is a strategic partner that receives a portion of proceeds from OVMA Pet Health Insurance policies to help low-income pet owners in Ontario subsidize veterinary care costs.
• Meow FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMeow Foundation is a strategic partner committed to helping build awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership.
• Calgary Humane SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalgary Humane Society is a strategic partner committed to helping build awareness about pet health care and responsible pet ownership in Calgary.
• North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNAPHIA is a pet health insurance industry association. Petsecure is a member in good standing of NAPHIA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fetch (formerly Petplan): Major North American pet insurance carrier with comprehensive accident and illness coverage. Comparable product set (multiple tiers, preventive add-ons) and direct-to-consumer distribution model similar to Petsecure.
• Trupanion: Direct competitor in pet health insurance, publicly listed (TRUP), operating across the US, Canada, and other markets with a direct-to-consumer, vet-bill-paid-direct model. Highly comparable to Petline's core pet insurance offering and overlapping Canadian footprint.
• Healthy Paws Pet Insurance: US-based pet insurance carrier (a Chubb subsidiary) offering unlimited lifetime benefits and direct-to-consumer distribution. Comparable catastrophic-illness coverage model to Petsecure's comprehensive plans.
• Embrace Pet Insurance: US-based pet health insurer offering accident, illness, and wellness plans with customizable coverage. Comparable product structure (multiple tiers, preventive care options) and direct-to-consumer model similar to Petsecure.
• Pets Best Insurance: US pet insurance carrier offering accident, illness, and wellness plans with multiple coverage tiers. Comparable product breadth and direct distribution model to Petline's Petsecure brand.
• 24Petwatch Pet Insurance: Canadian-headquartered pet insurance provider (part of Pethealth Inc.) offering accident, illness, and wellness coverage. Direct competitor in the Canadian market with overlapping product structure.

Emerging players

• Spot Pet Insurance: Digital-first US pet insurance carrier offering accident-only and comprehensive plans with customizable coverage. Comparable product structure and an example of the digital-native threat to legacy pet insurers like Petline.
• Lemonade Pet: Tech-native insurtech that has rapidly scaled a pet insurance add-on bundled with its renters and homeowners policies. Represents the digital-first competitive threat Petline faces in the broader North American market.

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA Pet Health Insurance: White-label pet insurance program (underwritten by Crum & Forster) distributed under the ASPCA brand. Closest US analog to Petline's white-label model with animal-welfare association partners.

Regional players

• PetCare Insurance (Canada): Canadian pet insurance carrier offering accident, illness, and wellness coverage. Operates in the same Canadian market as Petline with comparable product tiers and direct-to-consumer distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mypeppermint.ca
• Instagraminstagram.com/mypeppermint.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/petline-insurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Petline Insurance