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Press Releases 2005

Pethealth Inc. Announces that its 24PetWatch Program is the First to be Officially Recognised by the National Companion Animal Coalition.

Oakville, ON. – April 18, 2005. Pethealth Inc. ("Pethealth" or "the Company") (TSXV: PTZ) today announced that the National Companion Animal Coalition (“NCAC”), comprised of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the Canadian Kennel Club, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, has officially recognised the Company’s 24PetWatch microchip and pet registry/recovery program. The NCAC review of the 24PetWatch program was completed on April 14, 2005.This makes the 24PetWatch program the first program in Canada to be officially recognised by the NCAC.

“We are pleased to make this announcement,” said Mark Warren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pethealth. “We believe that the leadership shown by the NCAC combined with the efforts of Pethealth will ensure successful completion to ISO technology use in Canada. This in turn will mean greater confidence amongst user groups which will lead to broader acceptance amongst pet owners of the need to have their dogs and cats microchipped.”

Pethealth is Canada’s largest provider of microchip technology to veterinary clinics and animal shelters. Only those programs based on ISO standard microchips and universal readers (those capable of reading both ISO and non-ISO microchips) are eligible for approval by the NCAC. Pethealth is the exclusive distributor of ISO standard companion animal readers and microchips manufactured by Allflex USA Inc.

Additionally, the NCAC, in recognition of the need for greater accuracy of pet registry and recovery databases, included database standards as part of the review process. Thus, the NCAC’s recognition of the 24PetWatch program extends to the Company’s Canadian database of registered pets and pet owner information. To date, a total of 263,485 dogs and cats throughout North America have been registered with 24PetWatch.

“The successful completion of the National Companion Animal Coalition (NCAC) Review Process Regarding the Use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology in Canada, demonstrates Pethealth’s strong commitment to pet recovery in Canada,” said Mr Louis McCann, Chair of the NCAC.

Pethealth, as part of its strategic plan to become North America’s largest provider of pet health insurance for dogs and cats, has identified the greater use of RFID technology in companion animals as a key driver for pet insurance policy sales. A microchip is a rice grain-sized transponder, which is generally implanted between the shoulder blades of dogs and cats. The implantation procedure is generally conducted in veterinary clinics or animal shelters. The number on the microchip, which can be read by readers or scanners used by these same shelters and veterinary clinics, can then be registered in a database. Traditionally, microchipping is a procedure that pet owners have sought for their dogs and cats to help offset concerns that should their pet go missing reunification could be hindered due to the fact that simple dog tags and other forms of external identification can be removed or lost. However, Pethealth believes that microchipping will now gain more widespread acceptance and is looking at opportunities to provide additional services beyond insurance to those registered in the 24PetWatch database.

About Pethealth
Founded in February 1998, Pethealth is Canada's number one provider of pet insurance and is number two in North America, currently offering its PetCare Pet Insurance Programs in 10 provinces, 48 states plus Washington, D.C. In addition to the PetCare Pet Insurance Programs, Pethealth offers its pet insurance programs under a variety of names, including QuickCare, ShelterCare and Union Plus Pet Insurance. In the United States, the PetCare Pet Insurance Programs are underwritten by Lincoln General Insurance Company, York, PA, and administered by PetCare Insurance Brokers Ltd. and PetCare Insurance Agency, Ltd., both wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. In Canada, the Company's pet insurance is underwritten by ING Novex, a member of ING Group, and Kingsway General Insurance Company and offered through PetCare Insurance Brokers Ltd. In addition, Pethealth, through its wholly owned subsidiaries Pethealth Services Inc. and Pethealth Services (USA) Inc., distributes Allflex pet microchip supplies to the companion animal market in North America and operates the related pet recovery registry under the trade name 24PetWatch.

During 2004, the Company completed two innovations: PetPoint, the first web-hosted management software program for animal welfare organizations in North America, which allows shelters to easily offer the ShelterCare insurance and the 24PetWatch microchip programs electronically at the point of adoption; and EVE, the first web-based claims adjustment software for veterinary clinics in North America. This program, the first of its kind in the pet insurance industry, allows claims to be adjusted online at the veterinary clinic, thus simplifying the claims adjudication process.

Pethealth is based in Oakville, Ontario. To find out more about Pethealth Inc. (TSXV: PTZ), visit the web site at www.pethealthinc.com.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Statements contained in this news release, if not historical, are forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in forward-looking statements.

Not for dissemination in the United States of America or to United States news wire services

For further information contact:
Mark Warren, President & C.E.O., Pethealth Inc. at (905) 842-2615
Glen Tennison, Chief Financial Officer, Pethealth Inc. at (905) 842-2615

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