Is your furry-friend covered by your homeowners insurance?
When dog owners go to secure homeowners insurance, some are surprised to learn that they cannot access coverage because their pet is deemed too risky to insure. If you own one of these “risky” breeds of dogs, then you will likely run into two scenarios. Either the insurance company will deny you coverage altogether, or they will offer you a policy but exclude liability coverage for dog bite claims.
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 are. 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 simply do not want to take on the risk of covering certain breeds of dog.
This is why certain breeds of dog are not covered by home insurance providers. Do you have further questions regarding your homeowners insurance? If so, then contact the experts at Phocus Insurance in Phoenix, Arizona. We are ready to assist you with all your coverage needs today.
