CHICAGO, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Increasing demand for high impact pet solutions has fueled employer benefit strategies to include virtual access to care in their offerings, the fastest-growing being pet telehealth, a service that provides 24/7 access to veterinary professionals for instant connectivity at reduced cost for pet health, behavior, and care issues.

According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s Pet-Friendly Workplace PAWrometer, 66% of HR professionals report that job candidates now ask about pet-related benefits during the hiring process. As employers continue to modernize benefits to reflect employees’ lives outside of work, pet telehealth is quickly becoming a natural extension of digital health and wellbeing programs.

More than 70% of U.S. employees own pets, and nearly all, at 98%, consider them family. As a result, pet health concerns often spill into the workday, contributing to distraction, absenteeism, and stress.

Pet telehealth helps employers address these challenges by giving employees immediate access to veterinary expertise without requiring an in-person clinic visit. Data from whiskerDocs®, a leading provider of veterinary telehealth services, shows that more than 60% of telehealth cases can be managed at home, with fewer than 10% referred to emergency care. By helping employees quickly determine next steps, the service reduces unnecessary veterinary visits, lowers out-of-pocket costs, and enables employees to return their focus to work.

Pet telehealth is also emerging as a complementary benefit alongside pet insurance. While insurance helps offset the financial impact of major or unexpected veterinary expenses, telehealth supports everyday questions related to symptoms, behavior, wellness, and triage, providing real-time guidance when pet parents need it most.

Reflecting growing employer demand, whiskerDocs® has expanded its employer partnerships in various industries from all corners of the United States in the past year. Large e-commerce platforms like Momentum, home appliance companies like Rexair, regional banking brands, health and beauty companies, and large universities in the midwest have all added whiskerDocs memberships for employees as part of broader wellbeing and family-support benefit strategies.

“Pets are family, and when something is wrong, employees don’t stop worrying just because they’re at work,” said Deb Leon, CEO of whiskerDocs. “Pet telehealth provides fast, trusted veterinary guidance exactly when employees need it. Employers are recognizing that supporting pet parents is not just a perk, it’s a practical benefit that helps reduce stress, improve focus, and strengthen overall workforce wellbeing.”

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