Your service dog can put your homeowner’s insurance at risk

We were recently contacted by someone who had recently gotten a German Shepherd for a service dog and was told by their insurance company that their homeowners insurance would not cover the dog.  Another scenario is that the insurance premiums are raised significantly, often beyond the means of the homeowner.  Sometimes, the agency will cancel the policy, because they will not insure homes with dogs on their high-risk breeds lists.

This is one of the MANY reasons we do not, will not,  and will not even consider using a guard dog breed for any type of SD work.  Insurance companies won’t let certain breeds of dogs on homeowner insurance even if they are service dogs.  Allstate here in KY won’t.  The company doesn’t care how good it is, how well trained, how many test it passes, what bloodline it is out of, whether it is a show dog, or if it is a Service Dog, therapy dog, or even if the handler is a professional dog trainer… they will not… not open for discussion.  The same goes for German Sheps and Chows, which are at the top of all agency lists for Homeowner.

Please pay attention to the information provided in the following article links, and make sure your homeowner’s insurance covers your dog. Remember, the insurance breed ban lists apply to service dogs, as well!  Please do your research with your insurance agency BEFORE you bring a service dog into your home.

11 dogs that could raise your insurance costs

By Kay Bell • Bankrate.com

Homeowners insurance is going to the dogs

By Jenny C. McCune • Bankrate.com 

Traveling with Animals? Great web resource for you!

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/companimals/travelpets.htm

This covers resources and information from the USA and other countries around the world.  Check it out before you travel with your pet, show animal, or companion animal! This is a VERY extensive list.  Enjoy!

Note: Different laws may apply to legitimate service animals; information can be found in the Travel category of Service Dog Resources.

Why Should You Seatbelt Your Dog?

Buckle Pup Kentucky

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Why restrain your dog in the car?   There are more reasons than you may think…

#1 Reason – If your dog jumps, or gets thrown out of a car during a sudden stop, and it causes a wreck and/or injuries… you are responsible for buying the cars and/or motorcycles and paying for treatment of sustained injuries of the involved parties.  You can also be sued by the families in a “wrongful death” suit if someone dies.

#2 Reason – You buckle your kids in, don’t you… then why don’t you care that much for your dog? Your dog deserves the same protection as you and your family.  In a 30 mph. collision, occupants of the vehicle can exert a force 20 times that of their body weight! Seat belts and harnesses protect by absorbing some of this force and distributing the load evenly across the stronger areas of the body, which protects the head, neck, and body from injury. A dog restraint that reduces this potential impact force can make the difference between life and death, and help prevent serious injury. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that:

• seat belts are the “most effective means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries when traffic crashes occur”
• “3/4 of occupants who are ejected from passenger cars are killed”
• inpatient hospital charges are on average $5,000 higher for non belted occupants

 

#3 Protect yourself, your family, and other passengers in your vehicle. In an accident, a dog can be thrown with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of force into other occupants of the vehicle, easily causing life-threatening injuries.  A good restraint system can help minimize this danger.

#4 Prevent driver distraction. This is the most important reason because it affects not just your vehicle’s occupants, but potentially many others’. Pets and loose objects are the 3rd worst in-car distraction according to a recent AAA study! They were considered worse than cell phone usage (#6), eating & drinking (#5) and adjusting climate controls (#4) (#1 is radio or CD player, #2 is children or others in car – Source: Extra Magazine telecast 8-20-01). In the US during 2000, more than 1.5 million accidents were caused by distracted driving! (Source: NBC Dateline telecast 6-19-01).

#5 Make it easier for rescue workers and EMTs to help in the event of an accident. A dog that has been in an accident is likely to be shocked, confused, injured, and protective. It does not understand what has happened and may attack people or rescue workers indiscriminately and without additional provocation. Your dog may think that people who come to help you actually caused the accident and are now coming to attack again!  Police officers have told us that they have shot dogs when in this situation.

#6 Prevent runaways and daring escapes! Even well behaved dogs can have their moments of “distraction”. Far from home or on vacation is the worst place to lose your dog. Dogs can also get injured or killed jumping from even a slow-moving vehicle.

#7 Convenience. It is easier to restrain your dog than to worry and guard against escape every time a window or door is opened! This also means you may be able to leave some windows open for ventilation.

#8 Helps dogs that get carsick or fear riding in cars. Some veterinarians recommend restraint systems to help stabilize a dog when braking, cornering, and accelerating. This gives them a feeling of security and may help them overcome nervousness and the fear of riding in cars.

#9 Restraints may be required by law. California and several counties and cities in other states now require all animals to be tethered in vehicles.

Canine Auto Restraint Equipment (C.A.R.E.) was started in 1998 by a couple who lost their dog in a vehicle related accident that could have been prevented by using a dog seat belt restraint. Motivated by this and several other tragic but preventable accidents involving the loss of dog and human lives, C.A.R.E began promoting these potentially life-saving devices.Questions and comments from our customers led to the expansion of our product line to include a huge variety of innovative dog travel gear, and the development of new and improved dog seat belt, SUV, and truck restraint products manufactured by C.A.R.E.’s affiliate company, Champion Canine Designs (named after the brother of the dog Winter who died in the accident).