Does Owning A Dog Affect Your Homeowner's Insurance Rates?
Posted on: 2 July 2019
There are a lot of things that can affect the rates you pay for your homeowner's insurance rates, and you might be surprised to find out that owning a dog is one of these. While there are certain types of dogs you can own that would not affect your rates, there are other types that will, and there are also dog types that could lead to a cancellation of your policy. Here are several things to understand about dogs and home insurance.
Why having a dog matters
If you own a dog and it bites someone, that person has the legal right to sue you for damages. If this happens, you could file a claim with your homeowner's insurance, and your home insurance company might be responsible to pay the claim. Filing a claim for this would prevent you from having to pay the claim out of your pocket. Because there is a risk that a dog could bite someone, insurance companies generally want to know if you have a dog or not.
When to tell your insurance company you have a dog
It is not always important to tell your homeowner's insurance company that you own a dog, and in most cases, owning a dog will not affect the rates you pay. If you own a certain type of dog, though, it could affect your rates and even your eligibility to have insurance with the company you currently use. When you tell the agent what type of dog you have, the agent will look to see if it is on their list. Many insurance companies have a list that is called a vicious dog breed list. This list often contains pit bulls, Dobermans, and rottweilers. There are other dogs on the list, too, in most cases.
What to do if your insurance company will not insure you anymore
If you happen to have a dog that is on the list of prohibited dogs through the insurance company you currently have, there are two main options you have. First, you could, of course, get rid of your dog; however, this is not usually a good option. The other, better choice is to call around to find out if you can find a different insurance company that would insure you with the dog that you own. If you would like to do this, start calling around and asking for quotes for coverage.
Contact an insurance agency near you in order to learn more about things that might influence your insurance coverage.
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