Wow, that is horrible. We have been pretty lucky that we haven't had to take our dog in for anything major, but our friends have and I know it can be very expensive. Insurance is one of those things that you always pay for but you hope you never have to use it. It seems like such a racket sometimes, but to protect our loved ones it is always worth it. We used to keep our dog in a crate during the day when we didn't want her roaming around. They actually say it isn't as bad as it sounds. Dogs like having a space that they can claim as their own and be comfortable in.