Is your dog covered under your home insurance?
In most cases, homeowners insurance will offer coverage for any pet-related liability issues that you are responsible for. However, if you have a dog that is deemed too risky by home insurance providers, then one of two things will happen. Either the insurer will deny you coverage completely, or they will offer you a limited homeowners insurance policy that specifically excludes coverage for pet-related claims. But why do home insurers consider some dogs more dangerous than others? Here’s what you need to know.
Insurance providers will deem certain breeds risky based on the frequency and severity of their bites. Frequency refers to how often bites occur from a specific breed of dog and severity denotes how serious the injuries stemming from a breed’s bite were. Based on these factors, some of the dog breeds considered most risky include:
- Akita
- Chow Chow
- Doberman Pinscher
- German Shepherds
- Pit Bull
- Presa Canario
- Rottweiler
- Siberian Husky
- Wolf Breeds
Please note that different home insurers will have their own list of breeds that they will not cover.
It is also important to understand that insurance companies use general data on a dog breed to determine risk. While your dog may have never shown signs of aggression or been involved in a claim before, insurers are considering what could happen if your dog did bite someone else. As the average cost of a dog bite claim hovers around $37,000, insurers do not want to take on the risk of covering certain breeds of dog.
This is why home insurers will refuse to cover certain breeds of dogs. Do you have additional questions regarding the limits of your home insurance? If so, then contact the experts at VGW Walker Insurance in Texas. Our dedicated team is eager to assist you with all your coverage needs today.
