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Can My Pets Increase the Cost of My Home Insurance?

Pets are often an extended part of your family, as they can bring plenty of joy and companionship. While owning pets can offer plenty of benefits, they can also raise the cost of your home insurance. Many people don’t realize that owning certain types of pets can increase the cost of your insurance, so it’s a good idea to learn more about this topic to determine if it will have any impact on your insurance policy.

Why Do Pets Impact Your Home Insurance?
Some pets are much more dangerous than others, which can play a big role in the cost of your home insurance. While most pets can’t cause too much damage to your home, they can potentially harm other people. For example, you are liable if one of your dogs bites another person while on your property. These accidents cost your insurance provider money, which is why the type of pet you own is taken into consideration in calculating the cost of your insurance policy.

What Kind of Pets Affect Your Insurance Policy?
Not all pets will make an impact on the cost of your home insurance. Owning a rabbit or cat is unlikely to have any effect on your insurance due to it being highly unlikely for them to cause serious damages to a person. On the other hand, owning a dog can make a big impact on the cost of your policy. Some dog breeds are much more aggressive than others, such as German shepherds, pit bulls, rottweilers, huskies, and wolf hybrids. 

Many insurance providers restrict coverage for the most aggressive dog breeds, which means you may have to agree to an exclusion on your policy. However, each insurance provider is different, and it’s a good idea to compare multiple policies to find the best coverage. Working with a local insurance agency is helpful as they can handle this task for you while comparing all of the major insurance providers available.

What to Do If You Have a New Pet?
Reaching out to your insurance company as soon as possible is key if you purchase a new pet. Even if your animal is docile, it’s a good idea to contact your insurance company. Staying proactive by contacting your insurance provider can help you avoid expensive fees if your pet is ever involved in an accident with another person.

Unfortunately, it’s also possible that an insurance provider will refuse to provide you coverage if you own a dangerous dog breed. You will need to look at other insurance options if you want to keep your pet. An insurance agency can work with you throughout this entire process to help you find the best coverage available by comparing a wide variety of options. It’s also important to realize that other pets can make an impact on your insurance policy, such as owning a pet snake.

When Does Home Insurance Not Cover Your Pet?
The details of each home insurance policy can vary greatly between individuals. Checking out your policy and learning the details is well worth your time and effort. For example, most policies won’t reimburse you if your dog causes any damage to the structure of your house. You also most likely won’t be covered if your dog destroys your personal property. Keeping all of these things in mind is important before filing on your insurance.

Tips on How to Limit the Chance of an Incident With Your Pet
While it’s not possible to prevent every accident, you can still take additional steps to limit the chance of these events happening. Learning about your pet’s body language and socializing them with other people can reduce the chance of an incident. 

Providing daily exercise for your pet is also recommended to decrease aggression. Always putting your dog on a leash and creating enough distance from strangers is important in preventing any incidents. Taking your pet to the vet to be neutered can also result in less aggression.

Contact Wellcovered Insurance for More Information
Wellcovered Insurance offers home insurance for numerous clients living in Volusia and Seminole Counties. We are one of the highest-rated insurance agencies in the area, as we pride ourselves on always finding affordable insurance coverage to meet the needs of our clients.

Our company also provides personal lines insurance for boats, RVs, rental property, vehicles, general liability, and much more. We strive to offer the best customer service, as we will provide you with an auto quote in 15 minutes, and you can even receive a home quote in one or two business days. Our team will also return your phone calls as soon as possible.

Staying active in the community is also a priority for us and we are part of the Deland Breakfast Rotary Club and are members of the West Volusia Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Reach out to Wellcovered Insurance today to learn more about our services and receive a quote for home insurance in Florida!