Homeowners policies often restrict pit bulls.
Some insurance companies will not write or renew homeowners policies for people who own a certain kind of dog. The companies worry that they will face large claims if a dog injures or even kills someone at the home. According to InsuranceYak.com, dog-bite claims cost insurers almost $350 million in 2002, which accounted for 25 percent of all liability claims.
Breeds Most Often Restricted
Most insurance companies automatically restrict pit bull terriers, Rottweilers, Presa Canario and doberman pinschers, or any combination of these breeds.
According to DogBiteLaw.com, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, studied dog bites from 1982 to 2006. In the study, he showed that pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes were responsible for 74 percent of the attacks included in the study, 65 percent of the deaths and 68 percent of the maimings. According to Clifton's study, in more than two-thirds of the cases the attack was the first-known dangerous behavior by the dog.
Other Restricted Breeds
Other breeds that are often restricted by insurance companies include wolf hybrid, German shepherd, akita, chow, Alaskan malamute, husky and Staffordshire terrier.
Conflict
Many homeowners resist or resent restrictions on their pets, stating that any dog, regardless of its breed, is capable of causing severe injury. They believe that an animal's behavior is a product of its environment, its lineage and how the dog was bred. According to InsuranceYak.com, the presence of other dogs on the premises can also affect how a dog behaves.
Alternatives
Nationwide has started allowing owners of certain prohibited breeds to attain a homeowners policy if they can prove their dog successfully completed the AKC Canine Good Citizen program. The owner has to provide an original copy of the certificate, along with meeting traditional underwriting requirements.
Insurance regulations vary from state to state, even within the same company. Homeowners with a potentially restricted breed should shop around. For instance, State Farm does not restrict any breed. However, in Ohio, which has a statute labeling a pit bull as a "vicious dog," State Farm will not offer coverage.
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