Top 10 Most Unusual Dog and Cat Names of 2009

Nation’s Leading Pet Health Insurance Company Reveals Wackiest Pet Names

BREA, Calif., June 17 /PRNewswire/ — For many a pet owner, Max sounds mundane and Bailey is simply boring. In order to pay homage to those who take pride in their pets’ unconventional names, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, set out for the second year in a row to find the 10 most unusual dog and cat names in the United States. VPI employees selected 50 unusual cat names and 50 unusual dog names from the company’s database of more than 470,000 insured pets, and narrowed them down by voting for the 10 most unusual names in each category. Following are the results:

                           Dogs                    Cats
                  1. Doogie Schnauzer MD     1. Snag L. Tooth
                  2. Sargent Sausage         2. Clawed Monet
                  3. I Am Sparticus          3. Velvet Elvis
                  4. Lunchbox                4. Eartha Kitty
                  5. Angus Sir Loin          5. Blue Man Chew
                  6. Bam-Bam Noodle Butt     6. Catzilla
                  7. Mouse Meat              7. Thurston Picklesworth III
                  8. Fluffernutter           8. Yardsale
                  9. Kanye East              9. Dishwasher
                 10. Inspector Foo Foo      10. Polly Prissypants

“Nearly every pet owner whose pet made the top 10 reasoned that a distinct name was only appropriate for their distinct pet,” said Curtis Steinhoff, VPI spokesman. “Snag L. Tooth, for example, has a noticeable ‘snaggle tooth’ that juts out even when his mouth is closed, and Lunchbox the English bulldog has the stature of, well, a lunchbox. Whether a name reflected the appearance or quirky personality trait of the pet, each ‘Wacky Pet Name’ winner certainly earned or lived up to its clever name.”

For the full lists of 50 unusual dog and cat names, pictures of pets who made the Top 10, and stories on the origin of each unusual name, visit www.wackypetnames.com.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the nation’s oldest and largest pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet Well Care Protection for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.

SOURCE Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.