Dog bite

37chief · Apr 18, 2015

My wife took our dog to a dog park to run with other dogs. Our dog has been there many times. After a while our dog for what ever reason bit another dog. The dog owner took her dog to a vet, and 400.00 later the dog was taken home. My wife paid the vet bill. Our insurance agent was not in today, so I can't call. I am wondering if my home owners insurance will pay for a dog biting another dog away from home? Has anyone else has had that happen? Most of the money I made today discing, went to pay off the vet. Stan

Gambles · Apr 18, 2015

So you're going to report the incident to your insurance agent?
If I was the insurance company, my best guesstimate would be to think that the next time your dog bites, it would be on a human.

charlie n · Apr 18, 2015

Even if they would pay,I doubt it meets your deductible.

Goose · Apr 18, 2015

As a former insurance inspector, I can say with certainty that whenever an insurance company finds a dog on the premises, the absolute first question is the dog's bite history. If the dog has a bite history, either the dog or your insurance is history.

You might want to keep your insurance company in the dark.

NCWayne · Apr 18, 2015

As someone who has owned a number of dogs for the majority of my life, I say you and your wife did the right thing by paying the vet bill for the other dog. Too, I agree with what's been said so far, DO NOT get the insurance involved, even to just tell them about the incident. The REAL problem is that too many people have no clue that animals are not human, and will always be animals at heart, domesticated or not. In other words if another dog ticks yours off, or does something that really gets on their nerves, they just might bite. Unlike humans who have fists to hit, or voices to yell, all a dog can do is growl, and if that growl isn't acknowledged as they want it to be, a bite is the next step in the animals mind. Right or wrong isn't really for a human to say when it comes to a disagreement between two animals. It's animal instinct, and it's how they establish their dominance, and as humans we need to leave out own way of thinking out of the equation, beyond establishing to the dog that WE are the true dominant and doing what needs to be done if they bight the 'hand that feeds them'.

Chris(WA) · Apr 19, 2015

What Goose said. I had a dog some years back. The newspaper boy would tease him mercilessly thru the door of the screened porch we kept him on in the day time. He finally had enough one day and took the upper screen out by jumping thru it after him. Caught and bite the kid at the edge of the yard. Just one bite on the back of the leg. Like a dummy I filed a claim. Next day the insurance guy came out and said either the dog goes to the humane society and you come back to us with a receipt or your insurance goes away. Sorry to say I miss that dog. Wish I could have said missed that agent but I'm not neither rich nor that good a liar.
If you have a chance, keep it quiet.

D beatty · Apr 19, 2015

A number of years ago our dog bit a person. We turned the claim into the insurance company and they paid it in full and said nothing and rates never went up and we are still insured with same company.

MarkB_MI · Apr 19, 2015

If you want to get your insurance cancelled, file a claim.

Dick2 · Apr 19, 2015

Is that dog declared on your insurance application? If not, it will probably not be covered. One of the first questions that we were asked when we applied for homeowners was if we had a dog or not. Rates are higher if you declare that you have a dog.

Leroy · Apr 19, 2015

Now that is a first I have ever heard of that, no insurance that I know of ever asked about a dog. The insurance agents years ago came to the house and would play with the dog.

LAA · Apr 19, 2015

How can someone assign blame to your dog? Two dogs fighting is nothing new in my neck of the woods, if the Lady who owned the other dog thought her dog required $400.00 dollars worth of vet care I would have sure let her provide it.

Goose · Apr 19, 2015

Seems dogs have become more of a problem lately. The company I worked for had a policy that if a dog kept me from doing my job, all I had to do was turn in a photo of the dog and the company would back me up for not doing my job.

It blew my mind the number of people who would actually brag to me about how mean their dog was, not realizing it would all go into my report.

Mark - IN. · Apr 19, 2015

$400? Stan, that must have been some kind of bite. I've had dogs all of my life and have two labradors and a mastiff now, not small dogs. From time to time they snap at each other when one goes a little too far, and have been into a scrap or two with other dogs, but nothing anywhere near a $400 vet bill. If I'm your insurance guy and you ask me if your policy will cover the $400 vet bill that your dog laid on another dog at a park, I think that the days for your policy with me are numbered.

Stan, you might want to rethink that. And in the future, your wife might want to take a closer look at the reaction of your dog as another one nears. Provoked? Unprovoked? From the photo, hardly looks like a dog that would put a $400 hurt on another dog.

Good luck.

Mark

David G · Apr 19, 2015

Keep your mouth shut to neighbors and the insurance company, or you will lose the dog.

Ellis Kinney · Apr 19, 2015

Whatever you do Don't say a word to your agent. Ellis

Part Time Pete · Apr 20, 2015

The dog of one of my wife's friends bit someone in the face - they sued, and were awarded $65k. The insurance company agreed to pay, but they had to put the dog down - the owners refused, and took out a mortgage to pay the settlement. Two months later, the dog died..
For your situation though, I wouldn't get the insurance company involved - your deductible is likely more than $400
Pete

Dog bite

37chief

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Gambles

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charlie n

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Goose

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NCWayne

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Chris(WA)

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D beatty

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MarkB_MI

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Dick2

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Leroy

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LAA

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Goose

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Mark - IN.

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David G

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Ellis Kinney

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Part Time Pete

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