As much as we love our little furry friends, pets can cause significant damage to our homes. Whether we are talking about something small like stains on the carpet, or something more serious like tearing up furniture, these damages can be expensive to repair.
If you clicked on this article, chances are, you have a pet you love (most of the time) that you would like to protect in case anything happens. In this article, we are going to discuss homeowners insurance and dogs, plus what to do if your policy does not cover your pets.
Homeowners Insurance and What it Covers
When you purchase a typical homeowners insurance policy, it provides coverage to help protect your home and your belongings from risks, as well as liability protection. It generally covers the structure of your home, coverage to personal belongings, valuable items, and other structures on the property.
However, many standard home insurance policies do not cover any damage done by pets to either your property or the property of others. This means that if your dog digs up the carpet in your living room, you will have to pay for all damage costs associated.
In many cases, homeowners insurance covers pets as a liability. So if your pet bites someone who comes to visit, your homeowners insurance will cover that.
Homeowners Insurance and Dogs
As we stated, standard homeowners insurance and dogs don’t exactly see eye-to-eye when it comes to paying for damage caused by pets. In that case, hope is not lost, and there are a few avenues you can research that may help you with any potential pet-related damages.
- Pet Liability Insurance: First, check to see if your homeowners insurance covers liability claims for your pet. If not, pet liability insurance is an additional policy that can be added to your normal homeowners insurance policy, to provide coverage for the damages and medical expenses incurred by an incident involving your pet.
- Umbrella Coverage: An umbrella coverage policy may provide extra protection for your pets if they cause bodily injury to another person under certain circumstances.
- Pet Insurance: This is health insurance for your pet. It generally covers unexpected illnesses and injuries. Policies like this provide peace of mind knowing that should an unfortunate health issue take place with one of your animals, you will have some coverage.
- Take Precautions: Although obtaining insurance is always a good idea, prevention is key. Taking the time to properly train and socialize your pet can go a long way in preventing any unfortunate incidents from occurring.
- Talk to your agent: As with any insurance policy, communication is key. If you have a pet and are unsure if they are covered under your existing policy or need more information, contact your agent and discuss the options available to you.
Stress-Free Protection With Bethany Insurance
At Bethany Insurance we understand that our furry friends can be a part of the family so it’s important to make sure that both your home and your pets are protected in case anything unexpected happens. Contact our experienced agents today to learn more about homeowners insurance and dogs and to see how we can help provide coverage for all your insurance needs.
