Some insurance companies do allow pit bulls.
In most states, insurance companies cannot legally charge you higher premiums because of your dog's breed, according to the American Kennel Club. However, insurance companies are well within their rights to deny or cancel your policy if you have a pit bull or any other dog deemed to be a "dangerous" breed.
Insurance Companies' Concerns
In addition to covering a person's home against theft or damage, most homeowners' insurance policies state that the company will pay if a person is injured while in the home or on the property of a person insured by that policy. For this reason, insurance companies see pit bulls and other dogs they label as aggressive to be a risk. In the insurance companies' view, people are more likely to get hurt if they visit someone who owns a pit bull, so insurance companies are more likely to have to pay if they cover someone with a pit bull. For this reason, many companies simply do not cover homes where pit bulls live.
Options for Dog Owners
Not all insurance companies refuse to cover homes with pit bulls. If you have a pit bull or are thinking about adopting, you can get a list of your state's insurers by contacting the state's insurance commissioner. Call the companies on the list to determine which have pit bull-friendly policies. If you can't find any insurance companies that will take you on with a pit bull, you can take out a separate insurance policy for your pit bull. Some insurance companies will extend you a policy if the pit bull already is covered and your contract states the company is not liable for pit bull-related injuries.
Dog Training Programs
Some insurance companies will take pit bulls if you can show that your dog has been through an obedience training program, such as the AKC's Canine Good Citizen program. This coupled with a history of good behavior may persuade an insurance company to accept or not to cancel your policy.
Dog Owners' Concerns
Some dog owners and dog-owning clubs, such as the AKC, think that insurance companies should not deny policies based on a dog's breed. Instead, they think insurance companies should discriminate based only on a dog's behavior. According to the AKC, "If a dog is a well-behaved member of the household and the community, there is no reason to deny or cancel coverage." However, insurance companies argue that some breeds of dog are more aggressive than others, and aggressive dogs equal more claims.
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