[PRESSWIRE] London, UK – 22 September, 2026 — ICE-Tech has become the Founding Research Sponsor and sponsor of a new Pet and Equine Insurance Association (PEIA) research programme exploring the complete companion animal welfare journey.
The Companion Animal Welfare Journey will examine the experience from the point someone first considers bringing an animal into their life, through acquisition, insurance, veterinary care and changing health needs, to end-of-life care.
ICE-Tech’s support is helping PEIA work with relevant industry experts to develop the research and build an evidence base around the decisions, influences, communication gaps and areas of friction that can affect access to appropriate care.
The research will consider the journey from multiple perspectives, including the animal, people who have pets, veterinary teams, insurers, welfare organisations and others involved at different points in the journey.
Why the whole journey matters
Pet insurance does not operate in isolation.
The decisions an owner makes about insurance, the information available to them, when they seek veterinary care and how insurers and veterinary professionals interact can all affect the experience of the pet and owner.
By looking across the complete journey, PEIA aims to build a clearer picture of how those different experiences connect and identify where further research, discussion or industry collaboration could make a difference.
For ICE-Tech, supporting the programme reflects a commitment to contributing to the wider development of the pet insurance market, beyond technology alone.
Mark Colonnese, Head of Solutions at ICE-Tech, said: “Pet insurance is a market we care deeply about, but some of the biggest questions facing it cannot be looked at through an insurance or technology lens alone.
You have owners, insurers, veterinary professionals and many other organisations all playing a role in an animal’s journey. Understanding how those experiences connect, where the friction exists and where things could work better is incredibly valuable.
That is why we were keen to support this research from the outset. As Research Founding Partner, we’re proud to help make this work possible and support PEIA in building the evidence the industry needs to have better informed conversations about what could change.”
Supporting The Pet Pledge
The Companion Animal Welfare Journey will form part of the evidence base for The Pet Pledge, PEIA’s wider programme focused on improving access to veterinary care through a more sustainable, trusted and joined-up pet and equine insurance ecosystem. Insurance Times is supporting the programme through its Pet Pledge partnership with PEIA.
The Pet Pledge is focused on animal welfare, access to veterinary care and the long-term sustainability of pet insurance. It will bring together different perspectives from across the market to identify shared priorities and areas where collective action could make a meaningful difference. Insurance Times has reported that the research, subsequent roundtables and wider stakeholder engagement will ultimately inform The Pet Pledge and its shared priorities and practical commitments.
The emerging research will be shared at PEIA’s Members Forum in London on 4 December 2026, hosted by ICE-Tech client Aviva.
Feedback from the forum, alongside the research itself, will then help inform a series of in-person roundtables planned for 2027 as the wider Pet Pledge develops.
Sharon Brown, Founder and Chief Executive of PEIA, said: “We want the Companion Animal Welfare Journey to give us a stronger evidence base for understanding how the different parts of the companion animal ecosystem connect..
Support from our Research Founding Partner ICE-Tech is enabling us to bring the right expertise into that work. From there, our focus is on listening to the evidence and the different voices across the sector so we can identify where collaboration could genuinely improve animal welfare, access to care and the sustainability of pet insurance.”
Read more about The Pet Pledge and Companion Animal Welfare Journey in Insurance Times, or find out more about PEIA and its work across the pet and equine insurance market.
Media Contact: lydia.balment@ice-tech.com
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