Are you a homeowner in Florida? Then you surely already know that the price of homeowners insurance varies depending on where your house is located and the risk of a flood or hurricane happening. And what if you have pets? Will this affect your homeowner’s insurance policy? It just might. And why does it matter?
How Having a Pet Makes a Difference
According to a National Pet Owner’s Survey over 65 percent of homeowners have a pet, and an estimated 78 percent of those pets are dogs. Naturally, there is a concern for the insurance company when an animal is running around inside the space that they are covering. And there will be insurance claims that will occur due to pet mishaps, including some of the following:
- Pet destroys something valuable
- Pet or pets are valuable themselves and add another asset to the home’s value
- A dangerous pet that could potentially cause harm to another human being, property or animal
It’s hard to know for sure what goes on behind the scenes at an insurance company. But it can surely be said that some insurance companies charge a steeper fee if there is a dog of a more potential dangerous breed (pitbull, german shepherd, etc.) in the household that could be more of a liability to the insurance company.
Pets Cost Insurance Companies More Than You Would Think
According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites accounted for more than a third of all liability payouts in the year 2015. That equals out to an estimated 15,000 claims that year. This is a cost that averages out to about $37,000 per bite. Does it surprise you that your big dog is going to raise your insurance policy? Now everything makes more sense here.
What to Do Concerning Your Pet and Your Insurance?
The first and foremost action you can take to give you control over home and its insurance policy is to
- Be a responsible dog owner.
Taking responsibility for your pet and your house is what will get you brownie points with the insurance companies.
- Build a fence or secure environment for your pet.
The insurance agent is going to be much more understandable and easy going with you concerning your Rottweiler if you have put the time in to enclose it in a secured area.
- Avoid bad situations by keeping your dog/pet on a leash
I respect someone who has a big scary dog under control, compared to a careless person who doesn’t realize the danger their dog is to other people. It’s important to note that just because your dog is nice to you this doesn’t mean that it is going to play well with the other animals or kids that are on your block; it’s easy to slip into a bad situation, even with the good intentions of taking care of a pet.
- Raise your dog/pet with good social skills
You should raise your dog so that it knows how to interact with other people and their dogs. This is huge.
Take Control of Your Florida Homeowners Insurance
If I were to give you a piece of advice concerning your pet and your homeowners insurance, I would say choose wisely! The hassle and policies that each insurance company has had to go through to achieve a greater success will change from company to company.
Here’s another variable in all of this: you can buy pet insurance! Although this mostly covers the health of your pet and the expenses necessary to provide medical care, your homeowner’s insurance might cut you some slack if they know that you care enough about your animal to have them on their insurance policy, because this means that you are a protective and reliable person. This will also protect your pet from being attacked by other animals, which is another important factor to consider.
It’s always great to get advice from people who know what they are doing before you take any action. And when it comes to your pet, you’ll figure out how to get the best insurance policy without having to lose a precious furry member of the family!
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Related Categories: Money, Pets & Animals, Reviews