Insurance Canceled because I breed dogs

[deseeker]

Well it's official, I got a certified letter today canceling my home owners insurance because I am a gun dog breeder Last week, my insuance agent (a neighbor/friend) said don't be surprised if your home owners is canceled because you are a dog breeder. I've had insurance with with this company for 30 years---23 of which I have bred gundogs. The official wording on the certified letter says---Does Not Meet Preferred Underwriting Guidelines. I asked my agent friend what that referred to. He said the insurance company told him they found a web site (Gun Dog Breeders . Com) that listed me as a gun dog breeder(britts). My profile on the web site says, "I am not a puppy mill--I just breed 1 or 2 litters a year"(at most, sometimes zero litters). I have never had a dog bite anyone, they are either in the house or in their kennels unless I'm training. I'm just writing this to make you aware that there is a possibility that you could get your homeowners insurance canceled if you are listed as a gundog breeder on a web site (gundog breeders . com, gun dog central, gundogs online, etc). I do not have my own web site, so they ought to know I'm not a big breeder. I mainly breed to get my next gun dog and get enough money to pay for dog food and training equipment for the dogs. Don't ask me for the insurance company's name---I don't want any chance of a lawsuit. I will say the company is based out of Iowa.
PS I hope this company cancels ALL their dog owners---that way they'll go broke and be gone

[JKP]

I suspect this has more with reformulating guidelines so that premiums can be raised. The insurance companies have taken a beating with all the natural disasters of late.

[Cajun Casey]

Don't kid yourselves. It has a lot to do with anti-breeder AR agendas, also.

[Allin13]

my insurance company was trying to cancel ours because of a truck cap and hot tube. it was there when i bought the house so i no longer have the tube or cap and guess what they insured?? the hot tube!

[Winchey]

I would imagine it is because they consider it farming, commercial or home based buisness. Some companies are very good at using common sense, some not so much. I could call the same company 10 times a week asking if they could insure something, circumstances would be identical and there would be about a 50/50 shot whether they would or not.

[mask]

Don't kid yourselves. It has a lot to do with anti-breeder AR agendas, also.

An insurance inspector that is an animal rights fan can sway your company. It happened to me and I did'nt have a comercial kennel. They simply said the dogs were a liability they did not want to deal with. The bottom line, canceled policy. The good news is I did'nt have any trouble getting insured with an other company.

[RayGubernat]

Deseeker -

Have you considered going on Facebook/Twitter and several of the sites where animal owners visit such as AKC and spell out the name of the insurance carrier and that they cancelled your policy for having dogs. Just state the facts and let the readership draw their own conclusion. You could also post the name of theinsurance carrier you went with and if there was a savings for equivalent coverage...so much the better.

The only way to hurt companies like this...is in the pocketbook. They are in the business of making money. When an insurance company loses a whole bunch of good customers because of a "policy guideline", that just might get them to re-evaluate that "policy guideline."

Let the folks who don't own animals get their insurance from them and let all the animal owners go somewhere else. Home insurance companies are a fighting each other for paying customers in this economy.

RayG

[ezzy333]

My experience has always been I look at the written ploicy that states what they cover and don't cover. Never had an insuance inspector or do I know what they would do since I deal with an agent. If the company has changed their policy then I would annouce it to the world and hope everyone quits. You are not in trouble as long as you tell the truth.

Ezzy

[AZ Brittany Guy]

My experience has always been I look at the written ploicy that states what they cover and don't cover. Never had an insuance inspector or do I know what they would do since I deal with an agent. If the company has changed their policy then I would annouce it to the world and hope everyone quits. You are not in trouble as long as you tell the truth.

Ezzy

"As long as you tell the truth". In my years of business and tons of corrospondance my attorneys would stantize my letters and they always told me that I would always be safe if "I told the truth".