Our mission

At Trupanion, we're on a mission to help loving, responsible pet owners budget and care for their pets.

Our story

Our mission was initially hatched in the mind of teenaged Darryl Rawlings when his family was faced with a heart wrenching decision about their sweet and playful standard poodle, Mitzy. At just two years old, Mitzy was rushed to the emergency vet and diagnosed with a twisted stomach. Saving her life would require surgery. While the surgery was a relatively routine procedure, the Rawlings family couldn’t afford the cost, and ultimately had to leave the veterinary clinic that day without Mitzy.

At the time, Darryl knew there must be a better way – one in which could deliver a better outcome to veterinarians, pet owners, and of course pets – and yet the chance to act on his belief did not present itself until 15 years later. In 1998, Darryl started Trupanion (originally called Vetinsurance International, Inc.) with the goal of introducing a high-quality medical insurance offering for cats and dogs. In 2000, Trupanion had its first pet, Darryl’s own mixed breed dog named Monty. 

Darryl Rawlings, Founder and CEO

Darryl Rawlings Darryl Rawlings

Margi Tooth, President

Margi Tooth

But Monty was just the start! Trupanion grew quickly, first in Canada, and in 2008, into the U.S. In 2020, Trupanion celebrated two decades working to bring to life Darryl’s vision of a product designed in partnership with veterinarians for pet owners to be able to afford life-saving coverage for their cats and dogs. That same year, Trupanion celebrated 500,000 insured pets in North America and over $1 billion in paid claims on behalf of its members.

Two decades in, and Trupanion’s work is still just beginning.  As we enter our third decade, we’re excited to explore more ways in which we can bring our Mission to life, starting with continuing to reach even more pet owners with Trupanion’s high-quality medical coverage. With just 2% of pets insured in North America, there is much room for growth ahead!

“I am extremely proud of this company and the work we do to help save the lives of cats and dogs. I truly believe that if Mitzy had Trupanion pet medical insurance all those years ago, she would have lived a much longer and healthier life.”

-Darryl Rawlings

Steve Weinrauch BVMS, MRCVS, Executive Vice President, North America and Veterinary Strategy

Steve Weinrauch

Simon Wheeler, Executive Vice President of International Business

Simon Wheeler

Drew Wolff, Chief Financial Officer

Drew Wolff

Our aspirations for the Trupanion brand are global and in the next several years, we’ll look to redefine the pet medical insurance landscape in parts of Asia, South America and Western Europe.

We also look forward to building greater transparency in the industry – helping pet owners better understand the options available to them and their pets, including through the introduction of new insurance products.

And finally, we intend to explore our hypothesis that pets eating a healthy diet and the right amount of quantities will help your pet live a longer, happier life – wouldn’t that be great? More time we can spend with our beloved pets.

At Trupanion, we want to change the pet health paradigm forever. And we’re just beginning.