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"Pawed" and Dangerous

© Stacey Monfils

Recently my friend Pat, acquired a new dog, "Zazu," an American Staffordshire Terrier, or, more commonly known as a "Pit bull." "Aren't you worried?" I asked her, knowing full well that she didn't have anything to really be worried about. "What, me worry?" was her response. She, of course, doesn't think of her new companion as being a "dangerous" animal, however many, including some insurance companies, beg to differ.

Some insurance companies think dogs such as Zazu are too dangerous and therefore too much of a risk. All over the country, these companies are dropping, denying or restricting homeowners insurance for people who own dogs the companies think are too dangerous. Their reasoning is that they can avoid high payouts from lawsuits over attacks by vicious animals.

Pit bulls are usually near the top of most companies' lists of dangerous dogs, followed by Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and, believe it or not, Dalmatians.

Pat scoffs at the mention of the word "vicious" and states as proof that Zazu sleeps with her son in his bedroom every night, even on the bed sometimes. She also adds, "I've got two cats and they are more vicious than she'll ever be, believe me!" I've personally met Zazu and in all honesty, I'm more afraid of her licking me to death than biting me.

Pat also states that she hasn't had any problem with her insurance as of yet.

According to statistics, insurance companies paid out about $250 million claims in 1999 and seems to be increasing each year. Insurance companies sometimes won't sell insurance when there is a dog considered vicious on the premises. Or, if they do, the premiums may be at a higher rate. Homeowners whose dogs are considered dangerous could pay between 25 and 50 percent higher premiums for coverage, according to Allison Dean Wright, executive director of the South Carolina Insurance News Service. She also adds that companies might limit coverage to property, with no liability, or refer the customer to other companies.

"They won't cancel you in the middle of the policy," Wright explains. "But if you buy the dog in the middle of the policy, they may not renew because of it."

Insurance companies do consider other dangerous animals when deciding whether to issue policies, including alligators and snakes, however dogs seem to be the most common.

Unlike some municipalities, insurance companies often use different methods for determining whether to consider a dog dangerous. These include investigating the individual backgrounds of dogs and referring to lists of speific breeds.

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