Do You Need Dog-Friendly Homeowners Insurance? (2024)

FAQs

Do You Need Dog-Friendly Homeowners Insurance? ›

Homeowners insurance can provide liability protection to everyone in your family — including your four-legged friends. If you have a dog or a cat, your policy's liability coverage may offer protection if you're liable for injuries or damages caused by your pet. However, there are certain exceptions and restrictions.

Yes. You should absolutely notify your insurance agent about a new pet, regardless of the type or breed, because this is the only way to ensure you're protected from the damage your pet may cause your home or others.

Yes, it's possible for your homeowners insurance company to drop you because of a dog. Two reasons why your insurer might drop you is if your dog bit several people and you've filed multiple liability claims or if your dog's breed is on your insurer's list of banned dog breeds.

Some even will refuse to insure you if you have a specific breed with a reputation for aggressive behavior, regardless of whether your dog has ever bitten someone. Despite that, you should never hide the fact that you have a dog from your insurance company.

Pets can damage not only your home and property but property belonging to other people that visit or live near you. More significantly, dogs can bite people, leaving you and your insurance company liable for their injuries. So overall, pets are seen as a liability by many insurance companies.

In most cases, homeowners insurance will pay for medical expenses and legal fees if your dog bites someone. But certain breeds are categorized as “dangerous” and are either difficult to insure or excluded from coverage altogether. You also may be denied coverage if your dog has a history of aggressive behavior.

Some insurers will cover pet damage – but others won't, and home insurance that does include pet damage only includes certain kinds of damage, or even certain animals. However, it's still possible to find some insurers that will offer pet damage cover.

Yes, pet insurance covers your indoor pet for accidents. While you might not like to dwell upon the bad things that could happen to your furry friend, and hope that being at home will keep them safe, accidents can happen. What if an intrepid dog consumes something toxic left too close to the edge of the kitchen table?

Dogs' barking can work to deter burglars and alert residents and neighbours and studies show that burglars are less likely to target houses where dogs reside due to the increased risks of detection, arrest or injury.

Why Are Cane Corsos Subject to BSL? Cane Corsos are large muscular dogs initially bred for hunting and guarding. Due to their size and strength, they can be seen as intimidating, and when not properly trained or socialized, they may exhibit aggressive behavior.

Is it better to have pet insurance or not? ›

Ultimately, pet insurance can be helpful for many situations, especially if you want to reduce the stress and difficult decisions that can stem from unexpected vet bills. In general, you want to shop for pet insurance sooner than later so that it's more cost-effective, but even older pets can be insured.

Compared to “safer” dog breeds that are smaller and are considered family-friendly, like the Cavalier King Charles spaniel or bichon frise, large dogs with higher incidences of attacks like pit bulls and rottweilers are typically flagged by insurance companies and can result in higher rates or denied coverage.

According to our research, pet insurance costs $768 a year for dogs and $324 a year for cats, with an overall average monthly cost landing at $49 per month.

Homeowners insurance can provide liability protection to everyone in your family — including your four-legged friends. If you have a dog or a cat, your policy's liability coverage may offer protection if you're liable for injuries or damages caused by your pet.

Home insurance rates only go up by 1% for having a restricted dog breed, on average. If your dog is on the restricted breed list, it's most likely your insurance company will increase your rates slightly, or they could exclude liability coverage for any damage your dog causes.

Homeowners and renters insurance don't typically cover pet damage caused by your own pets. However, the liability protection provided by those policies may cover you if your pet destroys someone else's property. You can also seek compensation from another person's insurance if their pet damages your things.

Homeowners insurance generally only covers wildlife damage caused by animals like deer or bears. Damage from smaller pests like squirrels and other rodents generally isn't covered by your home insurance policy because the infestations are considered preventable.

You do not need pet insurance in order to take your dog or cat to the veterinarian or to pay for veterinary care. If you have pet insurance, you can take your animal to any vet you like; there are no in- and out-of-network providers to worry about as with human health insurance.

Pet insurance is designed to cover large vet bills that you may not be able to afford at short notice. So, if you worry that you may not be able to cover the cost of emergency treatments for your pet, it might be a good time to weigh your options.