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HTVL News Hartville Group, Inc., Launches 'ASPCA Pet Health Insurance'

CANTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hartville Group, Inc. (OTCBB:HTVL) announced the launch of a brand-new private-label pet insurance program developed in conjunction with the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®), the country’s oldest animal welfare organization.

Titled “ASPCA Pet Health Insurance,” this offering is the first product of its kind to be developed for and branded by a national animal welfare organization. Developed under an extension of the existing Strategic Partnership Agreement between Hartville and the ASPCA, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance program combines sensitivity to the priorities of the country’s premier animal welfare advocates with first-quality pet health insurance coverage. This program provides Hartville the opportunity to reach the 66 million American pet-owning households with an insurance plan branded by the country’s premier animal advocates, as well as to communicate directly with the ASPCA’s more than one million supporters about the new offering.

Because of its unique and highly-regarded position as the country’s oldest animal welfare organization, the ASPCA looked closely at potential insurance partners before selecting Petsmarketing Insurance.com Agency, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hartville Group, Inc., to administer its pet insurance offering. Hartville is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary as a provider of health insurance plans for cats and dogs. Located in Canton, Ohio, the company operates its own call center and underwriting divisions, and has unique, proprietary actuarial records and operating systems.

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance pays out based on treatments actually applied by any veterinarian of the customer’s choice. Payouts are adjusted by region, thus relating directly to the cost of living in different areas of the country. For more information on ASPCA Pet Health Insurance and the different plans offered, please visit www.aspcapetinsurance.com.

“We were very excited to develop this unique offering for the ASPCA,” said Dennis Rushovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Hartville Group. “During the development process, we made sure to keep anti-cruelty at the forefront, so that the ASPCA’s mission would not be compromised in any way. I believe that is reflected in our plans, which offer various levels of wellness coverage and spay/neuter costs. Further, surgical treatments to which the ASPCA is opposed, such as tail docking, ear cropping and declawing are not covered, aligning with their mission of preventing cruelty to animals in the name of aesthetic ‘enhancement.’”

“The ASPCA is committed to constantly trying to improve the quality of life for pets and pet parents,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “Veterinary costs are an important part of animal care, and have been rising by approximately six percent annually. Too often, pet parents are faced with an impossible choice: the health, sometimes survival, of their pets – or their financial wellbeing. No one should have to make such a decision. With the many plan options provided by ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, our hope is that pet parents will breathe easier, and pets will live longer, healthier lives.”

About Hartville Group, Inc.

Hartville Group, Inc. (Hartville Group) is a holding company whose wholly owned subsidiaries include Hartville Re Ltd. (Hartville) and Petsmarketing Insurance.com Agency, Inc. (the Agency). Hartville is a reinsurance company that is registered in the Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Hartville was formed to reinsure pet health insurance that is being marketed by the Agency. The Agency is primarily a marketing/administration company concentrating on the sale of its proprietary health insurance plans for domestic pets. Its business plan calls for introducing its product effectively and efficiently through a variety of distribution systems. The Company accepts applications, underwrites and issues policies. Visit www.hartvillegroup.com for more information.

About the ASPCA^®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) was the first humane organization established in the western hemisphere and today has one million supporters. The ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides national leadership in humane education, government affairs and public policy, shelter support, and animal poison control. The NYC headquarters houses a full-service animal hospital, animal behavior center, and adoption facility. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series Animal Precinct on Animal Planet. Visit www.aspca.org for more information.

Except for historical information, all other information in this news release consists of forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. The most significant of these uncertainties are described in the Company's Form 10-K, Form 8-K and Form 10-Q reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement.