West Springfield Families Need Homeowners Insurance To Cover Puppies

Oct 24, 2016 8:04:20 PM

Many homeowners insurance policies’ liability provisions include coverage for dogs and their actions. Some insurers, however, exclude specific breeds from the policies that they offer to West Springfield, Massachusetts. Additionally, a few insurers don’t include coverage for dogs in their standard policies. Therefore, if you’re thinking about getting a new pooch, you should first review your homeowners policy to see whether you’d be covered if your dog caused any harm.

Homeowners Insurance West Springfield

Before You Get a New Pooch, Make Sure Your West Springfield Homeowners Insurance Policy Will Cover the Dog

Checking Your Homeowners Policy

You can check your homeowners insurance policy by reading through its fine print. If you don’t have a copy of your current policy’s paperwork, you can get a copy by contacting either your insurer or insurance agent. They may have an online version you can look at, or they might send you a hard copy.

Reading through all of the definitions, conditions, limits, and exclusions in your homeowners policy can be confusing, though. Without knowledge of insurance jargon, it might not be clear what your policy’s paperwork states. Even if you do know the lingo, it still will take time to pour over each page.

Request a Quote!

There’s a much easier way to check your homeowners policy’s terms and conditions. Simply call your insurance agent, and explain that you’re planning on getting a new puppy. They’ll likely want to know what breed the dog will be. Then, they can look through your policy for you. They’ll likely be able to find the pertinent clauses in your policy’s paperwork faster, because they spend each workday dealing with insurance policies.

Your Homeowners Insurance Policy May Cover Your New Dog

If you’re getting a common breed of dog that doesn’t have a bad reputation, there’s a chance that it will cover your new pooch. It may provide all of the coverage you need, in which case you don’t need to make any changes. It might only afford some of the protection you’d like. If this is the case, your agent can likely help you purchase additional coverage through your current insurer.

Your Homeowners Policy May Not Cover Your New Dog

If you get a certain breed of dog, your insurer will likely exclude it from coverage. Each insurer has a unique list of breeds that they don’t cover, but some of the most often excluded ones are:

  • German Shepherds

  • Chow Chows

  • Doberman Pinschers

  • Rottweilers

  • Staffordshire Terriers

  • Pit BullsWant to Talk to an Agent?

If your insurer doesn’t offer coverage, you’ll want to find a way to protect yourself from any liability suit related to your dog’s actions. You may be able to purchase a rider from your current insurer, or you might have to find a policy from a different insurance company that offers policies in West Springfield. If your agent is an independent insurance agent, they can help with both of these. (An agent that works for a company can’t help you purchase a policy from a different insurer.)

Find an Independent Agent in West Springfield, MA

If you need a new homeowners insurance policy and don’t already have an independent insurance agent, look for one that serves West Springfield. An independent agent will be able to help you find the insurance coverage you need at the most affordable price, since they can show you policies from any insurer serving the area. 

Edward J. Adamczyk

Written by Edward J. Adamczyk

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