You are at risk.
As progressive as the State is, California allows insurance companies to discriminate against dog owners based solely upon the breed of dog you own. California insurers can deny and even cancel insurance based on nothing more than the breed of dog on the property (and this may be after many many years without even 1 claim!).
Dobermans are included on the insurance industry's list of "dangerous dogs," and a number California insurers -- including Allstate - will deny insurance to anyone in the state who owns a dog from the "dangerous dogs" list, even if a claim has never been filed. Michigan has changed its laws to prohibit this type of discrimination, and the state of Washington has current legislation (HB1016) seeking to end discrimination there as well.
We need to energize our friends, family, and fellow dog owners to end this discriminatory policy. It's one thing to deny insurance based on the acts of the animal or animal owner, it's something else entirely to deny insurance based on genetics. In the United States, this kind of discrimination is absolutely prohibited against people; we need to implement similar policies of protection for our four-legged friends.
The AKC addresses this issue and provides tips on finding insurance on their website. The ASPCA also has information on their website.
Together we can change California law, effectively making it so that if insurers want to do business in this state they must provide coverage without any discrimination that is based solely on the breed of an animal. You can help by contacting your legislators and letting them know that you oppose this discrimination and want them to actively support changing the law. To find your legislators, click here.
Here is a sample letter sent by one of our members to his legislators. If you have experienced discrimination, please let your legislator know. If you haven't, please let them know you want the law changed. Help make it so that no dog owners will have to decide between homeowners/renters insurance or a four-legged member of the family.
Find Your California Legislators
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