Dogs provide us unconditional love, companionship, and even protection that even some other humans cant provide. Some people even consider dogs to be a major part of their family. Dogs can be even used for therapy and many other uses. However, we must remember that they are still animals and have those natural instincts. Because of this, when a dog feels threated, mother nature kicks in. Is this covered by your home insurance? Lets Dive a little deeper!
The simple and short answer is yes but not in every scenario. Typically, it is covered in your personal liability but not every company sets up their policy the same. Some companies exclude certain breeds meaning they will not cover a dog bite by those certain dogs. Other companies, provide a maximum limit of liability.
What Happens if a Dog is Excluded on my Home Insurance Company?
No Coverage: In this Scenario, the insurance company will not provide coverage if you have certain breeds of dogs all together. These dogs typically include Pitbull’s, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Chows and a few other breeds.
Limited Coverage: Other companies will offer coverage but if you have one of the exclude breeds, provide no coverage in the event of a dog bite. The insurance company will still provide home insurance coverage but just not in the event of a dog bite.
Limit of Liability
Some Insurance companies are now offering a limit of liability for dog bites. This means that in the event of a dog bite the company will only pay out so much money. Typically, this is around$5,000 to $25,000 but it can vary.
Personal Liability
Other companies cover this under your personal liability and this is usually the best way to be covered. Personal Liability will range from $100,000 to $500,000 but can get up higher with an umbrella policy.
What do I need to do on my Home Insurance?
Make sure you’re agent knows the exact breed of dog you own. If they don’t ask you when setting up a new policy, make sure to mention it anyway. Each company has different guidelines so some companies may not even ask. If you are looking to get a new dog check with you agent first to make sure the breed is acceptable.
At Millennium Brokers, we love dogs. From Golden Retrievers all the way down to German Shepherds, we welcome and try to accommodate all breeds. With multiple companies, we can make sure to find the coverage you need!