Ask Me Help Desk - Where can I find liability insurance for my dog

I am looking for liability insurance for my Dog Leila she is 3 yrs old Boxer/Pitbull mix do you have any suggestions on who to use?

Hello:

I hate insurance, but I'd call any of 'em, and compare their prices.

By the way, you really wouldn't be buying liability for your dog. You'll probably be buying homeowners or renters insurance with a rider. I suppose you could even get an umbrella policy...

I don't know really.. But, I can tell you this - a few phone calls to your agent or any agent, and you'll know a lot more than me about this subject.

excon

I'd suggest checking with your homeowners insurance provider. But I'd be very leery about even owing a dog that you feel you need liability insurance for. You're setting yourself up for not only civil liability but criminal liability as well.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by s_cianci

I'd suggest checking with your homeowners insurance provider. But I'd be very leery about even owing a dog that you feel you need liability insurance for. You're setting yourself up for not only civil liability but criminal liability as well.

How do you see obtaining insurance which covers damage done by a person's dog sets a person up for civil liability and/or criminal liability? I see no connection among injuries caused by dogs/criminal "liability" and insurance.

People buy auto insurance - that doesn't set them up for liability claims. In fact, it's quite to the contrary - drive without insurance, get into an accident, see what happens.

Dog owners are foolish, indeed, if they do not have liability insurance which protects them against claims for dog bites, dogs that knock people down. Injuries caused by their pet(s). Without the proper insurance the dog owner is personally responsible for any and all injuries.

For that matter, dog owners should "up" their med pay - if your med pay is low and your dog does injure someone the person injured has no choice but to sue to collect. With med pay (if it's high enough) the bills are "simply" paid and that's the end of it.

In a nutshell - having insurance which covers a dog is NOT any type of admission that the dog is vicious or has vicious propensities.

And how to get the insurance? Ask an agent. Many companies are now refusing to insure or greatly increasing the rate for certain breeds. The only way to know is to ask.

And landlord should also keep this in mind if they have a tenant and the tenant has a dog.

And, yes, I investigate probably 50 of these claims a year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by s_cianci

I'd suggest checking with your homeowners insurance provider. But I'd be very leery about even owing a dog that you feel you need liability insurance for. You're setting yourself up for not only civil liability but criminal liability as well.

I don't agree that owning a policy sets you up to be sued. I think it makes you smart and puts you in a better position in case you are sued. If a dogowner is sued because their dog bit someone or hurt someone in any way, then having insurance would save them a world of headaches. Or are you saying owning a dog sets you up to be sued? If so, then insurance is a must.

Personally, I wouldn't suggest anyone going without homeowner's/renter's insurance. You can increase your coverages (liability, med pay) if you want to err on the side of caution. The fact is, dogs are wild animals that have been domesticated over time and can, at any point, revert to a wild nature to protect themselves. This behavior is innate, regardless of breed.

To the OP, call your insurance agent and discuss increasing your liability on your homeowners policy. It's doubtful that any carrier is going to let you only carry liability on your dog. As excon suggested, if you want to opt for more coverage, look into an Umbrella policy. This offers additional liability coverage on your home and auto in the event of a catastrophic accident. (A good thing to have in general.)