Is My Dog Covered by Florida Home Insurance?

August 11, 2024

Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Sarasota have plenty of beautiful homes and apartments for rent. They also have plenty of potential renters who own dogs. A Lakewood Ranch property owner recently told me they started allowing tenants to have small dogs because they were having trouble getting renters.

About 40% of all Florida residents own a dog. Dogs are everywhere in Florida. Ensuring your dogs are covered by your home insurance is vital to protecting your assets and your future.

As much as dog owners don’t want to admit it, dogs can present a big risk. They are one of the top three or four most deadly animals to humans in the country.

We take a look at how dogs are covered on your Florida home and renters’ policies. We will also explain why some dog breeds are not covered.

Table of Contents

Ways Florida Home Insurance Covers Dogs

Property Damage Liability for Dogs

Liability covers property damage and bodily injury. This coverage is extended to you, your household family and roommates, and your covered dogs.

Here’s a hypothetical scenario that uses dog poop, rocks, and a broken window:

Your dog goes outside and takes a poop. After the poop, he does that back kick thing to declare to any animals in viewing distance that his poop is now completed. In the process of the obligatory canine celebratory post-poo back kicks, your dog flings a poo-covered rock through your neighbors window.

The rock breaks the window and the poo ruins her expensive dress. Your policy would provide coverage for the window and the dress thanks to liability protection.

Florida Dog Bite Statistics

About 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year.

Most people think their dog would never bite someone, 4.5 million bites later… Turns out a lot of people were wrong.

The average cost per dog-bite liability claim in 2022 was nearly $65,000.

Total Dog Bite Claims by State in 2023

California: 2,104
Florida: 1,532

That’s right, Florida had the second-most dog-bite claims in the nation. Florida doesn’t just have a high total due to our population.

Florida’s bite rate is 25.2 per 100,000 people, 33% higher than the national average.

3 Different Types of Dog-Bite Liability Laws

Strict Liability: In most cases, the owner is held liable if their dog bites another person or pet. This is regardless of bite-history or provocation. Your dog, your responsibility. There are some exceptions to the law, like if the victim acted negligently. Read the law here.
One-Bite Rule: The victim needs to prove the owner knew the dog had a history of biting. Alternatively, it must be proven that the dog was a danger. Only then can the owner be held liable for the damage.
Negligence: The owner would be liable if they were negligent in controlling their dog.

Florida is a strict liability state. This means if your dog bites someone, there is a good chance you will be footing the bill. Your dog, your responsibility.

Dog Breeds NOT Covered by Home and Renters Insurance

Each company has a list of dog breeds they will not cover on your home policy. This could mean they will require you to sign an exclusion for any coverage on the dog. It may also mean they will flat out refuse to write you a policy, due to the increased risk.

9 dog breeds Florida home insurance will not cover in 2024:

Akitas
American Bulldogs
Chow Chow
Doberman Pinschers
Mastiffs
Pit Bulls
Rottweilers
Staffordshire Terriers
Wolf Hybrids

Most policies include a few pieces of language that allows the insurance company to decline you coverage if your dog is a mix of a dangerous breed, has a bite history, or gives them any other reason to deem it aggressive.

Any mix or variation of these breeds
Any dog with a history of biting
Any dog underwriting deems ineligible.

These breeds have a higher probability of aggression, according to the insurance company’s statistics.

Dogs Not Listed on Restricted List Can Still be Denied Coverage

If your dog has a previous bite history, the insurance company will not be very interested in writing your home or renters policy.

What does “any dog underwriting deems ineligible” mean?

When you get a new home insurance policy written, an inspector will typically come out. They will take pictures and assess the exterior of the home. I’ve had eligible dog breeds act aggressively toward the inspector and cause problems.

Once that gets reported to underwriting they will want to exclude the dog or reject your policy. They now have evidence the dog is aggressive. I have personally seen this happen.

One time an inspector reported that he believed the dog was an ineligible breed. We had to get paperwork from the vet to prove the dog was eligible. Otherwise, they were going to decline the policy.

Ultimately, the insurance company believed the paperwork from the vet, but it was an extra hoop to jump through. They take their dog breeds seriously.

What is Your Liability if Your Dog Bites Someone?

As mentioned in the beginning of the article, the average dog-bite liability claim was around $65k in 2022.

If you are held liable for a dog bite, you will be responsible for paying more than just medical bills.

If your dog bites someone, you may be liable for the medical bills and attorney’s fees. You may also be responsible for lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Will my Insurance Pay Medical Bills if my Dog Bites my Kids?

No. Your policy will not pay if your dog bites you or anyone who lives in your household.

Your home insurance liability covers you when you are held legally liable for another party’s injuries. It covers you when you are held liable. You are legally responsible for your children. You can’t be held liable for damages against yourself.

A more absurd illustration (yet similar enough in nature) would be this. Imagine you were making dinner and cut your own finger off. You can’t sue yourself for the medical bills and hope your home insurance pays for it.

If Gomez Addams were to accidently cut himself with his knives, he is unable to sue himself in court for liability. Therefore, his home insurance liability will not pay for his medical bills. The same logic applies when your dog (your responsibility) bites you or your children in your household.

Your dog is your responsibility, your children are your responsibility, it’s all your responsibility. There are no third parties involved.

I hope that makes sense.

Florida Dog Bite Statistics

Between 2005-2016, 2.93 Floridians were killed by dogs.
- To put that in perspective, alligators have killed just 0.4 people per year since 1948.
In 2023, dogs attacked Florida postal workers 193 times.
In Florida, 600 people per year are hospitalized due to dog-bite injuries.
The two groups of people with the most dog bites were:
- Children under the age of six.
- Boys aged 6-14 years old.
Insurance payouts (USA) for dog-bite claims totaled $484K in 2014.
Insurance payouts (USA) for dog-bite claims totaled over $1.1 Billion in 2022.

How Long do I Have to File a Claim After a Dog Bite in Florida?

You have two years to file a claim or pursue legal action after a dog bite in Florida.

As of March of 2023, Florida’s statute of limitations on a dog-bite personal injury claim was reduced from four years to two. If the bite occurred prior to March of 2023, you still have four years.

It is best to file a claim as quickly as possible. Evidence, witnesses, and memories can fade with time, making it harder to get clarity on the events surrounding the dog bite.

Getting Home Insurance With a Restricted Dog Breed

Some home or renters insurance companies may make you agree to exclude the dog from coverage. However, many companies would prefer to avoid the potential risk of litigation altogether. If you are unable to get coverage for your dog based on the breed, there are

If your home insurance company excludes coverage for your dog breed, there are alternatives. Quite a few companies are reducing or eliminating the restricted breeds list.

If you don’t want to switch companies, you can also look into third-party animal liability coverage. There are companies that will write a standalone animal liability policy for you and your pup.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments.

If you live in Florida and you have a dog, get in touch with us about a renter’s insurance quote.