We have an older poodle (rescued from a shelter when she was 10 months old) who's definitely a very important part of our family. Recently she's partially losing control of her bladder, which is a problem since she sleeps with us on our bed. So we had basically two choices...put her down, or put up with her incontinence...there was no choice here, she's our sweetheart. So we bought this mattress cover/protector to protect an expensive mattress, and it's working as expected. We still have to wash bedding and such every few days when she has an accident, but it's a small price to pay for the happiness she brings to us.