Farmers Insurance will no longer provide dog bite liability coverage for three specific breeds: rottweilers, pit bulls and wolf hybrids.
California resident and owner of two pit bulls, Dawn Capp, was amazed that insurers were not notified of this change; she found out through a friend. Capp feels that the company is “discriminating against me and my dogs, not based on our individual responsibility level or risk level, but just because my dog happens to look a certain way,” (Farmers Insurance no longer covering dog bites for certain breeds, KCRA.com, Claire Doan).
The company is not cancelling any policies, but rather requiring a signature on the company's new exclusion waiver of liability coverage for dog bites. Refusal of signature then terminates the process of policy renewal.
Farmers is one of the final companies to implement such a change in dog bite coverage, making it difficult for owners of these breeds to find insurance. As Nicole Mahrt Ganley, member of the Association of California Insurance companies, explains “companies need to manage their books. So, if they've seen an increase in claims from dog liability of certain breeds, they may decide (they're) not going to cover that as much,” (Farmers Insurance no longer covering dog bites for certain breeds, KCRA.com, Claire Doan). In 2011 California alone had 2,400 dog bite claims, which added up to $92.7 million paid, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
