Dogs Can Hurt Your Homeowner’s Insurance
Buying a home, like owning a car, means buying homeowner’s insurance. But, if you own or obtain a dog, your insurance could be revoked, denied, raised or removed. Insurers may charge you a higher rate, exclude your dog from liability coverage or turn you down cold, based on your dog’s breed, history of claims, the insurer’s dog bite claims or all of the above. It doesn’t seem fair to dog lovers, but bite claims have become more popular: according to freerepublic.com, “Dogs kill 10 to 20 people in the United States every year.”
That’s not a lot compared to other factors that can lead to death in one’s life, but, also according to freerepublic.com, “Last year in Orange County, 300 dog bites were reported, and 350 were reported in Raleigh.” Many major cities average about 300 dog attacks per year. “While national statistics show at least 30 breeds have attacked humans, 10 dog breeds are on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s most dangerous list, meaning they tend to bite the most frequently. They are:
- Pit bulls
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Huskies
- Alaskan Malamutes
- Doberman Pinschers
- Chow Chows
- Great Danes
- St. Bernards
- Akitas”
Some insurance companies will strictly not write certain breeds of dogs. With others, breed has no bearing; it’s really what their claims have shown. The above list of dogs are the most often scrutinized in insurance claims. Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are dubbed the most likely to kill. According to the Insurance Information Institute in New York, dog bites account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims, and more than half occur on the dog owner’s property. Dog bite claims totaled $387 million in 2008, up nearly 9 percent from 2007.
Insurance companies contend they’re merely managing their risk. But canine and animal rights groups denounce the practice as breed discrimination or profiling. Consumers and dog owners are caught in the middle. But don’t give up lovable Max just yet. There’s a doggone good chance this story will have a happy ending.
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