That s why Phillips always recommends that dog owners buy homeowner s or renter s insurance. But that s getting tougher. Not every insurance company covers every breed of dog. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chow chows, Great Danes, Saint Bernards and Akitas are considered the most dangerous, says the Centers for Disease Control. Dogs from each of these breeds killed at least four people in the last 20 years.
Insurance companies agree that the larger and stronger dogs cause the most serious injuries.
Some, like Mass.-based Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Co., will no longer cover owners of pit bulls or Rottweilers. There are no states with laws that mandate insurers to write polices for households with a dog, says Holly Staszel from the Insurance Information Network of California. If your dog ends up costing the company money, there s a good chance your insurance company will dump you. Almost 70 percent of insurance companies say they wouldn t renew polices for those owners, according to a survey conducted by the Insurance Information Network of California. It depends on how serious the injury was and if the owner has taken steps to mitigate the situation.