"Dangerous" dogs and homeowners insurance
On today's MSN Home Page, Sunday, April 18, 2004
Good dogs, bad dogs and homeowners policies
About 40% of American households own a dog, according to The Humane
Society of the United States. And many of those dog owners have
homeowners insurance, too. But the two don't always mix well. As the
costs of dog bites spiral -- more than 0 million in 2001,
according to the Insurance Information Institute -- some insurance
companies are refusing to write coverage for owners of certain breeds.
While there may not be an industrywide "blacklist" of breeds, it's
probably best to check with your agent before you buy a German
shepherd, a pit bull or a Rottweiler. A number of other insurers do
not maintain a blacklist of breeds, believing that each case has to
be considered individually.
One of the reasons some companies deny that they look at dog breeds is
because state regulations prohibit them from doing so in certain
parts of the country.
The facts on dog bites
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates
that nearly 2% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog each year.
This is more than 4.7 million people per year. Most are children.
Ten to 20 people die every year as a result of dog bites in the U.S.
By far, the majority of the victims are children. From January 1997
through December 1998, 27 people died after being bitten by a dog.
Nineteen of those victims were children under age 12.
Dogs may bite out of fear, to protect their territory, or to establish
their dominance over the person being bitten. Some dog owners
mistakenly teach their dogs that biting is an acceptable form of play
behavior. Because dog bites occur for many reasons, many components
of responsible dog ownership -- including proper socialization,
supervision, humane training, sterilization, and safe confinement --
are necessary to prevent dogs from biting.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Rottweilers and Pit Bulls
were involved in 60% of the 27 dog bite fatalities that occurred in
1997 and 1998.
The list of top breeds involved in both bite injuries and fatalities
changes from year to year and from one area of the country to another,
depending on the popularity of the breed. Although genetics do play
some part in determining whether a dog will bite, factors such as
whether the dog is spayed or neutered, properly socialized,
supervised, humanely trained, and safely confined play significantly
greater roles. Responsible dog ownership of all breeds is the key to
dog bite prevention. Source: The Humane Society of the United States
[FORWARDER'S NOTE: The HSUS comment above says: "Although genetics do
play some part in determining whether a dog will bite, [other]
factors...play significantly greater roles. Responsible dog ownership
of all breeds is the key to dog bite prevention." Alarmist headlines
grab people's attention while the truth may be found buried somewhere
deep in the text.]
The article goes on to say:
Some companies don't discriminate by breed. "We believe that there are
good dogs and bad dogs within every breed, just as we believe that
there are responsible and irresponsible owners," says Phil
Supple of State Farm, the nation's largest home insurer.
Dan Hattaway, an underwriting consultant for State Farm, says that the
company doesn't even track how many of its home insurance
policyholders own dogs. Policyholders do have to answer questions
about dogs on the application, however. Specifically, the company
wants to know if a dog has ever bitten anyone or if it has been
trained for attack purposes.
If it turns out that the dog has bitten someone, State Farm will want
to know the circumstances surrounding the bite. "We'll want to
ascertain if it's ever likely to happen again -- if precautions have
been taken to prevent it," says Hattaway. Other factors the company
looks at are the seriousness of the injury and whether the attack was
provoked or unprovoked.
Dogs with a history of attacks
Hattaway gives this example. An Irish setter gives birth to a litter
of puppies. She and the puppies are on the back porch. Some friends
come over with their little boy to look at the puppies. Under the
supervision of the insured, everything is fine. Everyone goes inside,
and parents tell the boy that it is time to leave the dog alone with
her puppies.
"Well, the adults got to talking about adult things, and the little
boy, unnoticed, decides he's going to go out and pet the puppies. He
got bit," says Hattaway. "When State Farm followed up on the claim,
we found that the insured had had the female spayed. She wasn't going
to have any more puppies, and she showed no further aggressive
tendencies." Because the dog's owner had taken steps to make sure
that a similar incident would not occur, State Farm continued his
coverage.
Some will ask "Do you own a vicious dog?" on home insurance
applications and any previous dog-bite claims will show up on your
claims history, which insurers check before issuing a policy. Like
State Farm, some insurers will consider whether an attack was
provoked or unprovoked.
Insurers are most concerned about unprovoked dog attacks. If your dog
has an unprovoked attack in its history, most insurers will cancel or
not renew an existing home insurance policy, decline your application
for a new one, or attach an exclusion for the dog to the policy. The
exclusion means that the insurance policy would not cover any
liability claims caused by the dog, making you personally responsible
for any medical bills or lawsuits stemming from your dog's actions.
Raleigh Floyd, a spokesperson for Allstate, acknowledges that his
company pays attention to breeds. "It's not a blacklist," he
says. "But we have breeds that we follow more closely than others,
mostly because of a variety of trends and statistics about dog
bites." On the list are Rottweilers, pit bulls, chows, bull terriers,
Dobermans, and German shepherds.
He notes that owning one of these breeds does not mean an immediate
rejection from Allstate. Keeping the dog chained and putting up a
six-foot-high fence in your yard will definitely work in a dog owner's
favor. "We also look at other factors having to do with homeowners
insurance not related to the dog," says Floyd. Those factors include
claims history and the condition of the home.
[FORWARDER'S NOTE: "Keeping the dog chained...will...work in a dog
owner's favor." This statement by an Allstate spokesman, Raleigh
Floyd, must be challenged immediately. Calls/letters to Allstate are
needed NOW!]
Prevention is the best medicine
The best way to make sure your home insurance won't get canceled
because of your dog is to make sure it won't bite anyone. Hattaway of
State Farm outlines the ways to make sure a dog won't bite the hand
that pets it: "Socialize the pet with people and other animals
outside the household," he says. Training it to obey your commands --
whether on your own or with the help of obedience school -- will also
lessen the chance that it will strike out on its own. Keep your dog
healthy; if your dog is in pain, it's more likely to lash out. Obey
leash laws, even on your own property.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show
that the majority of dog-related fatalities involved unrestrained
dogs, both on and off an owner's property. Spaying and neutering an
animal can also improve its disposition, especially with male dogs.
Don't put your dog in situations where it will be threatened or
teased. Hattaway notes that 60% of dog-bite victims are children, who
may not be aware that their behavior is threatening. "Most
importantly, be alert to signs that your dog is having a problem,"
says Hattaway. If your dog is agitated or appears threatened, take
the necessary steps to calm it down.
What to do if someone is bitten
If your dog does bite someone, make sure you respond right away.
Restrain or confine your dog immediately. Then do whatever you can to
help the victim, whether that means calling 911 or driving them to
the emergency room. If your dog hasn't had its rabies shot, it's
especially important for you to cooperate.
Once the victim is taken care of, you may have to contact the local
authorities to report the dog bite. You should then call your
homeowners insurance company especially if there are medical costs
involved. Be sure to cooperate with your insurance company. No doubt,
the adjuster will want to investigate the circumstances surrounding
the incident. You may or may not agree with the insurance company's
opinion of your dog's disposition, but they won't be able to make a
decision until they have all the facts.
Take steps to make sure that a similar incident doesn't happen. Short
of finding another home for your dog, that might mean building a fence
around your yard or sending him to obedience school. When all
else fails, a certified animal trainer might help.
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourhome/P35347.as
p
Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Apr 21, 2004