The Detroit News MetLife no longer writes coverage for people who own a pit bull or four other dogs with attitudes.
Dog bites tend to be difficult cases, emotionally traumatic and costly.
Those are not just a nip, but a tearing of the skin that requires a lot more medical treatment and as a result, the costs go up. Macomb County reported 1,020 dog bites last year, up 9.5 percent from a year earlier. The Oakland County Animal Shelter, which covers much of the county, said the number of bites there remained constant at about 800. Nationally, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said 4.7 million dog bites were reported in 1997. It took 12 stitches to close the boy's wound in Bi-County Hospital.