Dog Breeds Florida Home Insuranceprovidersrefuse To Cover
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For many Floridians, a family is not complete without at least one fluffy member.
But if youâre thinking about bringing home a new furbaby, you might want to first consider how it will affect your homeowners insurance.
Common Reasons For Breed
There are a number of reasons why some countries feel they must ban a specific dog breed.
Why Are Pit Bulls On Every List Of Dangerous Dogs
While aficionados of pit bulls claim their dogs are nothing but sunshine and sweetness , this breed takes the prize for being the most dangerous. Statistically speaking, pit bulls accounted for 66% of all mauling deaths in America from 2005 through 2017, followed by Rottweillers at 10%.
Whether pit bulls are inherently more aggressive than other breeds is a controversial topic, with no clear consensus on either side of the debate. What is clear, however, is that when pit bulls bite, they inflict far more damage than other breeds. Their hold and shake style of biting causes severe damage to muscle and bone. Injuries are often permanent and disfiguring. Their notoriously tenacious hold makes it nearly impossible to break up an attack without a firearm.
Representation from an attorney who understands personal injury law first-hand
Injury attorney Steve Caya has been an;injured victim of a motorcycle crash and understands the anxiety of the moments, hours, and days after suffering an accident through no fault of your own. If you’ve been injured from a dog bite, car crash, or other accident you need professional legal counsel to win the compensation you deserve.
Our law firm offers free case evaluations to injured victims anywhere in Wisconsin – if you can’t make it to our Janesville law office we’ll gladly come to you to discuss your case.
If you have been;bitten or mauled by a dog and want to know your options,;contact our personal injury lawyers in Janesville and Beloit.
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Do You Have References
Ask for references of other folks who’ve bought dogs from the breeder. And if they are being mentored by a more experienced breeder then ask for their details too.
Getting feedback from other puppy owners is a great way to gauge whether this is the kind of breeder you want to work with.
Of course, if they are not willing to give any references, it’s time to find another breeder.
There’s one last thing I think is important for you to know
Why Are Dog Breed Restrictions In Place
The purpose of breed restrictions is to discourage, restrict, or prohibit certain breeds of dogs which are defined as dangerous within certain jurisdictions.
Inother words, breed restrictions are an effort to protect people fromaggressive dogs. By banning these breeds from certain places, lawmakers,landlords, and others hope to lessen the chance of a dog bite or attack.
Whatexactly defines a dangerous or aggressive dog?
Different jurisdictions have different definitions. German Shepherds are often targeted by these laws because theyre commonly used as protection or in military/law enforcement work.
In my opinion, this gives many breeds the undeserved reputation of being automatically labeled as aggressive. Although I think certain breeds may be more prone to aggressive behavior, I dont think all dogs of any particular breed is aggressive.
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Breed Restrictions : What Dog Owners Need To Know
So, you’ve decided it’s time for you and your dog to move. You do your research, choose your preferred neighborhood and take the time to come up with several options for apartments you’d like to see. You set up viewings, find the perfect place and send in an application. But if you’ll be renting with a dog, did you remember to check for breed restrictions? Some apartment communities have a list of restricted dog breeds and may exercise restraint when it comes to aggressive dog breeds in particular.
If your dog is not accepted in your target apartment community, your application may get rejected even if you have good credit and income to cover the rent.
Before you begin the process of finding a new home it’s important to understand what breed restrictions are and how they can impact your ability to rent with a dog.
With Personal Injury Law Offices In Houston And Katy
Were you seriously injured by a dog bite? These types of injuries are not only painful, but also traumatic. Dogs are familiar companions in American society, and most people who have dogs in their homes consider them to be members of the family. This can make pursuing a dog bite case not only complicated, but uncomfortable, especially in a case where the owners of the dog are relatives or friends. Knowing you will encounter resistance and defensiveness, its understandable to be reluctant to file a dog bite claim. Our Texas dog bite attorneys understand this, and also know that you deserve to be compensated for your injuries. We want to help you build a successful dog bite case. Call us today for a free consultation.
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State Restrictions On Dog
The use of such lists is not acceptable everywhere. In the U.S., the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania have restricted the use of dog-breed profiling by insurance companies. Ten other states have pending legislation that would similarly prohibit companies to deny insurance to someone based only on the breed of dog in their household. These laws propose that insurance companies should only be allowed to deny or revoke a policy or to increase the premium, based on the risk associated with a specifically named dog. That means that the individual dog must have a known history of being aggressive or must have been officially designated as dangerous.
The insurance companies counter by saying that such laws will not work. They argue that by the time the dog has bitten someone and has therefore been deemed dangerous, there has already been a claim filed. That means that it’s already too late for the insurance company because they will have to cover the claim under the pre-existing unrestricted policy. The companies argue that the only way to reduce their financial risk is to ban certain dog breeds from coverage. Nonetheless, there are some insurers that do not use a banned dog list and other companies that will allow a household to be insured simply by excluding coverage for liabilities due to damage caused by a dog.
Legal Challenges Ontario 2007
In Cochrane v. Ontario , 2007 CanLII 9231 , Ms. Catherine Cochrane sued the Province of Ontario to prevent it from enforcing the Dog Owner’s Liability Act ban on pit bulltype dogs, arguing that the law was unconstitutionally broad because the ban was grossly disproportionate to the risk pit bulls pose to public safety, and that the law was unconstitutionally vague because it failed to provide an intelligible definition of pit bulls. She also argued that a provision allowing the Crown to introduce as evidence a veterinarian’s certificate certifying that the dog is a pit bull violates the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
The presiding judge ruled that the DOLA was not overbroad because,
“The evidence with respect to the dangerousness of pit bulls, although conflicting and inconclusive, is sufficient, in my opinion, to constitute a ‘reasoned apprehension of harm’. In the face of conflicting evidence as to the feasibility of less restrictive means to protect the public, it was open to the legislature to decide to restrict the ownership of all pit bulls.”
In 2008, both Ms. Cochrane and the Attorney General of Ontario appealed different aspects of the decision to the Court of Appeal for Ontario.In Cochrane v. Ontario , the Court of Appeal reversed the lower court’s ruling:
On June 11, 2009 the Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear further appeal of the case, thereby upholding the Ontario ban on pit bulls.
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Banned Breeds: A State By State Guide
Breed specific legislation has been making the headlines for years. Breed specific legislation or as it is often called, BSL, is a law that bans or restricts certain types of dogs based on their appearance or breed in an effort to decrease dog attacks on humans or other animals. You may be surprised to see that a majority of the states in the U.S. either have BSL or allow BSL in some form either through being grandfathered in or in or as a part of a homerule exemption. The most common breeds banned through BSL include:
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Pit Bull
Breed specific legislation first came into being in the early 1980s after several fatalities occurred following attacks committed by dogs. It was the aim of these early laws to identify certain breeds as âinherently dangerous to society.â It should be noted that dogs are not the only animals to have faced breed-specific legislation. At one point potbellied pigs were banned from city limits as were goats. BSL can range in severity and direction, for example, some BSL bans certain breeds from particular areas such as public beaches or parks, whereas other legislation bans entire breed from towns altogether. In the past 20 years over 25 different breeds have been involved in dog bite fatalities.
Who Is Impacted By Breed
Regulated breeds;typically comprise the pit bull class of dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull;Terriers and English Bull Terriers. In some areas, regulated breeds also include a variety of other dogs like American Bulldogs,;Rottweilers,;Mastiffs, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers or any mix of these breedsand dogs who simply resemble these breeds.
Many states, including New York, Texas and Illinois, favor laws that identify, track and regulate dangerous dogs individuallyregardless of breedand prohibit BSL. However, more than 700 U.S. cities have enacted breed-specific laws.
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German Shepherd Vs Rottweiler Conclusion
There are a few more differences worth highlighting when comparing the German Shepherd vs Rottweiler.
If youre worried about shedding, the German Shepherd is going to shed more.
Get you checkbooks ready. A well-bred Rottweiler can cost anywhere from $1500 $2500. ;German Shepherds will cost around $500 $1500. Make sure youve got plenty of room in the budget after the initial purchase, as both dogs will be expensive to maintain properly.
Rottweilers, whether they deserve it or not, carry a rough reputation. Some areas have banned this breed. Should your dog ever get into trouble, the potential for a lawsuit is much higher simply because of reputation.
Overall, these dog breeds are incredibly similar. The choice is yours! Both dogs require training and attention, but you wont regret the results.
What Kind Of Damages Can Be Awarded
In a civil personal injury case, the term damages refers to financial compensation for the ways in which you were harmed by your injuries. There are two types of damages considered in a dog bite case: economic and non-economic.
Compensation in the form of economic damages is for the objective, quantifiable losses you have suffered. This can include lost income from not being able to return to work while healing, medical expenses incurred because of the injury, and bills for ongoing things like medication, counseling, and physical therapy. Your future economic losses can also be estimated, based on the already established cost of various therapies or potential future surgeries.
Compensation for non-economic damages is for losses that are just as important, but more subjective and therefore harder to put a price tag on. These can include anxiety, pain and suffering, depression, and emotionally and mentally coming to terms with a lessened quality of life due to your injuries.
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Dogs Banned In Australia:
The following pure breeds cannot be imported into Australia under the legislation of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection:
- Dogo Argentino
- Pit Bull Terrier or American Pit Bull
- Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario
Domestic/non domestic hybrids are also prohibited. This includes, but not limited to:
- Czechoslovakian wolfdog or Czechoslovakian Vlcak
- Saarloos wolfdog or Saarloos wolfhound
- Lupo Italiano or Italian wolfdog
- Kunming wolfdog or Kunming dog.
Will The Breed Of My Dog Impact My Insurance Premium
Any dog can impact an insurance premium, especially if it is one;of these infamous breeds. If you own one or more of the dog breeds below, you can add umbrella insurance to your existing insurance policy to help protect you from bodily injury liability lawsuits and property damage liability lawsuits. Check them out:
1. Pit Bulls
Owners of pit bull-type dogs have long deal with strong breed stigma. Many people believe pit bulls are way more aggressive than other dog breeds. This is because these dogs are more frequently identified in cases involving severe injuries or fatalities. But this may be due to the popularity of pit bulls. In fact, controlled studies have not found pit bulls to be disproportionately dangerous. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association has found that breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites.
Still, the stigma exists. Some jurisdictions have passed laws that ban pit bulls and many insurance companies will not cover a pit bull bite.
2. Staffordshire Terriers
Staffordshire Terriers is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that is considered to be within the pit bull-type, and therefore have a reputation of aggressiveness. Staffordshires are known to fight when challenged, especially when encountering stranger dogs. This breed is also considered many to be headstrong and stubborn, which worsens their aggression.
Because of this, many insurance companies will not cover a liability incident that involves a Staffie.
3. Doberman Pinschers
6. Chows
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Dogs That Look Like Pit Bulls
An important distinction in the law in Ontario is that a dog falls under the pit bull law even if it is not a pit bull but could be mistaken for one. This gives lawmakers and enforcement officers the right to declare a dog illegal if it resembles the breed, even if its bloodline does not conform to the breeds already mentioned. Unless an owner can prove that his dog is purebred and belongs to a breed not related to the pit bull, the owner could be at risk of losing any dog that closely resembles a pit bull.
References
Official German Shepherd Clubs
This is a great way to locate reputable GSD breeders. ;If you don’t know a vet to point you in the right direction, this is your best bet. ;
I prefer breed-specific clubs to national kennel clubs.
Here’s a handy map on the WUSV website where you can locate official German Shepherd clubs across the globe.
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What Health Testing Have The Parents Had
All German Shepherds should be health screened for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia. ;Especially if they are going to be part of a breeding pair.
And the results should be registered either with OFA or the SV.
There are two types of tests. ;The first one is the OFA Radiograph Evaluation which is done at 24 months. ;And the PennHIP evaluation can be done as early as 16 weeks.
Personally, I attach more value to the OFA Evaluation because it’s done at 24 months which is the acceptable age to begin breeding.
A reputable breeder will give you hard proof that the parents have been screened.
It’s worth noting here that even the healthiest parents with all the necessary screening will not guarantee a 100% healthy pup.
But it will minimize the chances of health issues in the future.
What Is A Dangerous Dog
Legally, the terms dangerous and vicious dogs are often used interchangeably, but they are referring to the same classification of dogs. This is a legal classification of dogs and any breed can earn this label.
Do not think, though, that because it is a legal classification that its well defined or not subjective. These laws function at the state, county, and municipal levels, so the interpretations and implementations of this label vary.
However, at its core, a dog is deemed dangerous when it has done something unprovoked and violent, and will no face some consequences.;
I know that sounds vague, but it does vary so much from place to place.
For example, in Louisana, a dangerous dog is any dog that
But in Ohio, a dangerous dog is any dog that
So, as you can see these definitions are extremely broad, leaving a lot of room for subjective interpretation. Depending on the nature of the incident, even an otherwise sweet family dog could get itself on the dangerous dog list.
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