Your “fur baby”, be it dog, cat, or some other beloved pet, is a member of your family. You love and care for it as if it were your own child. It’s never been mean or vicious, and behaves wonderfully whenever you have people over.
Until that one moment when a loud noise or an unfamiliar person startles your pet. In that moment, they’re no longer a furry baby but a living, breathing animal – with the instincts and actions of an animal. They bite. They scratch. They attack.
And someone leaves with an injury.
Can pets impact your Charlotte homeowners insurance? You better believe it.
BIG DOGS
Some dogs, will either increase your premium or cause your insurance coverage to be dropped.
All dogs are capable of biting someone, but certain breeds are watched more closely because of how bad a dog bite or attack can be. In 2014, dog-related claims averaged over $32,000 per claim. Dobermans and pitbulls, known for being relatively calm, often won’t be covered by a typical home insurance policy because of the amount of damage they can inflict with one bite.
INSURANCE OPTIONS
Maybe you love only pitbulls or chow chows and no other breed will do. Maybe you fell in love with the idea of taking care of large snakes; cats and hamsters just aren’t your thing. You may still have options.
There are some insurance companies who will provide insurance specifically for your dog or your exotic pet. You’ll need to be mindful of the policy limit. The wilder the animal, the higher your limit may need to be. Be prepared to pay higher than normal premiums depending on just how exotic or aggressive your beloved family pet is known to be.
Even if you don’t have a dog whose breed is banned or a lion in your backyard, you may want to consider increasing your liability limits on your homeowners insurance policy, just to be safe. Your fur baby isn’t really a baby, it’s an animal, and in the right set of conditions, it could lash out like an animal. Upping your liability is a good way to protect yourself and your family.
If you’ve got questions about whether your family pet is covered or if you’re interested in a liability policy for your pet, contact us here at Charlotte Insurance. We love our fur babies, too, so we understand how important they are to your family. We can help.