March Madness Pet Name Competition Predicts Duke Blue Devils Win the Championship

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SOURCE: Veterinary Pet Insurance

VPI Pet Insurance Ranks Teams By Inspired Pet Names & Breeds

Brea, California (PRWEB) March 18, 2013

In 2011, pet lovers rejoiced when the NCAA basketball championship game featured the Huskies (Connecticut) vs. Bulldogs (Butler). Will this year’s road to the Final Four feature a pet-themed squad that is able to break through the fanatic frenzy of March Madness? Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, analyzed its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to find which March Madness teams have the pet power it takes to cut down the nets on April 8 in Atlanta.

Below is a list of the most popular pet names based on the teams in the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and VPI’s database of 485,000 insured pets (total number of pets sharing that name in parenthesis):

Pet Name (number of pets sharing that name) – 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Team

Duke (1,336)
George (567) - Georgetown
Tiger (490) – Memphis, Missouri, Pacific
Louis (222) – Lousiville, St. Louis
Buck (134) – Bucknell
Cowboy (101) – Oklahoma St.
Rebel (96) – UNLV, Ole Miss
Gator (73) - Florida
Bruin (58) – Belmont, UCLA
Grizzly (52) – Montana
Lobo (45) – New Mexico
Aggie (44) – New Mexico St., NC A&T
Badger (41) – Wisconsin
Buckeye (41) – Ohio State
Jay (34) – Creighton
Cal (23) – California
Carolina (23) – North Carolina, NC State
Sparty/Spartan (22) –Mich. St.
Panther (18) – Pittsburgh
Irish (17) – Notre Dame
Hoosier (15) – Indiana
Crimson (11) – Harvard
Hurricane (10) – Miami (FL)
Kansas (10)
Okie (10) – Oklahoma
Buff (9) – Colorado

There are also three pets named Izzo (Michigan State head coach), one named Pitino (Louisville head coach), 10 pets named Bucket, eight named Hoops, five named Rebound and two named Swish.

Best of Breed
The 2013 tourney field is partial to a variety of pets, with several breeds filling out the field.

It will be a dog day afternoon at many tournament sites, featuring these pooch inspired mascots:

Bulldogs – (2) Gonzaga, Butler
Great Danes – Albany

Cats litter the March Madness brackets in force, including:

Wildcats – (3) Arizona, Davidson, Kansas State, Villanova
Bearcats – Cincinnati

Even exotic pets have punched their tickets to this year’s Big Dance:

Ducks – Oregon
Jackrabbits – South Dakota St.

Which team will cut down the nets April 8 in Atlanta?
Based on the data above, the 2013 pet inspired March Madness winner will be the Duke Blue Devils! In fact, the name “Duke” ranks 40th on VPI’s list of most popular pet names, which encompasses nearly 70,000 pet monikers.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance
With more than 485,000 pets insured nationwide, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the No. 1 veterinarian-recommended 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 CareGuard® coverage is available for routine care. Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 2,700 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.

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