Massachusetts Dog Insurance Coverage

MA Dog Insurance

Owning a pet can bring both many joys and much financial responsibility. Pet owners may not know that they can be held liable for any harm pets cause to people, property and other animals. The relationship that you have with your pet is an important part of your life, and knowing that you have the right coverage can bring peace of mind.

While deaths caused by pets are relatively rare, bites are not uncommon and some can be very serious causing painful personal injury. In the event some unfortunate incident should occur, standard homeowners insurance may not provide the amount of coverage needed and can even exclude some exotic species of animals or breeds of dogs or dogs that have been declared dangerous.

No one wants to believe an otherwise lovable pet could cause serious injury or property damage, but if something serious were to happen you want to have the coverage needed to handle compensation claims attributable to the incident. If you own a pet, additional pet insurance may be needed to fully cover an accident, loss or other incident.

Dog Ownership and MA home insurance

Sadly, dog bites are a common cause for claims on homeowners insurance. With dogs, anything from playful nips and serious, provoked biting attacks can cause injuries. As any dog owner knows, every dog has a threshold that can trigger the animal to bite. Some breeds of dogs are considered to be more at risk and harder to insure than others, including:

  • Akita
  • Doberman pinscher
  • German shepherd
  • Pit bull
  • Rottweiler
  • Staffordshire bull terrier

Do you have coverage for your Dog?

In addition to certain breeds, your homeowners insurance may have exclusions for dogs that have been designated as dangerous or even exclude coverage for dogs altogether, regardless of their reputation or lineage. Before you get a dog, find out what your policy covers for canine liability and consider additional pet insurance to make up for any gaps or exclusions.

Animal Liability Coverage

At times, under the wrong circumstances, things can get out of hand with any household pet, but certain species and breeds of dogs are often considered more of a risk. Standard homeowners insurance may not cover animals, including:

  • Alligators
  • Amphibians: frogs, toads, salamanders and newts
  • Apes, non-human primates
  • Bears
  • Cockatiels
  • Coyotes, fox, hyenas, wolves and wolf-dog hybrids
  • Hares
  • Hedgehogs
  • Raccoons, skunks
  • Sugar gliders
  • Wild felines: lions, tigers, bobcats and ocelots
  • Reptiles: lizards, snakes, tortoises, turtles

Find out Your Options for Insuring Your Home and Your Pet

If you own a pet in Massachusetts, contact HomeownerQuote.com to discuss your policy and options making sure your pet is covered, either with your homeowners policy or pet insurance. We share your fondness for your pet  and we understand the need to protect you and your pets. Call us at 781-246-8699.

Bad Dog!

Bad Dog?

Some say “there are no such things as bad dogs … only bad dog owners.”

This may, or may not, be true but in the eyes of Massachusetts homeowner insurance companies there are such things as “bad dogs.”

One Massachusetts home insurance guidelines lists their animal ineligible risks to include:

Premises with horses; aggressive breeds of dog such
as, but not limited to: Akita, Alaskan Malamute, American Bull Dog,
American Pit Bull, Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Mastiff,
Chow, Dalmatian, Doberman Pinscher, Giant Schnauzer, German Shepherd,
Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Siberian Husky, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Thai
Ridgeback, Wolf-Dog Hybrid, any mix of any of these breeds, or any animal
with a history of aggression or prior loss history. Unusual pets (i.e. snakes,
ferrets) or livestock; risks with 2 or more dogs must be referred to the
Underwriting Department.

Keep in mind, if you do own any of these animals, there are still markets for your home insurance premium.

Check with your local, professional, independent, Massachusetts insurance agent …

You’ll be glad you did!

Bad Dogs!

There are over 4.5 million dog bites each year. These dog bites account for almost 25% of annual homeowner insurance liability claims. If you are a dog owner who’s in the market for a homeowner insurance policy, you should know what you might be up against.

Certain breeds may exclude you from coverage in the voluntary market. These breeds include (but are not limited to): Akita, Cane Corso, Chow, Doberman, German Sheperd, Mastiff, Pit Bull, Ridgeback, Rottweiler, and Wolf Hybrid.

Any dog with a past history of biting will exclude the owner from voluntary market coverage.

Bad Dog!

MA Home Insurance: Excluded Dog Breeds!

When it comes to homeowner insurance, often even good dogs are considered bad.

Following please find a partial list of sometimes considered uninsurable dog breeds:

Akitas, Argentinian Mastiff, Bull Mastiff, Cane Corso, Chow, Doberman, English Bull Terrier, German Sheperd, Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiller, Ridgeback, Wolf Hybrid, Mixed Breeds including any of the previously mentioned, Guard dogs, and any dog with a past history of biting or that has “demonstrated aggressive behavior.”