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Stop Insurance Companies From Punishing Dogs By Breed
Final signature count: 8,166
8,166 signatures toward our 30,000 goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
Families should not lose insurance or housing because of a dog’s breed. Insurers must judge dogs by behavior, not stereotypes.
Homeowners and renters insurance should protect families from real risks. It should not force people to give up a beloved dog because of breed labels, appearance, or assumptions.
The ASPCA says many insurance companies refuse coverage to people who own certain breeds, putting families in the position of choosing between their home and their pet.1 The National Association of Insurance Commissioners also notes that some insurers still use breed lists when underwriting homeowners and renters liability policies, which can make it harder for dog owners to obtain sufficient coverage.2
That practice can affect responsible pet owners who have done everything right. A dog with no bite history, no dangerous-dog designation, and no record of aggression can still make a family harder to insure simply because of how the dog looks or what breed appears on paperwork.
Breed Is A Poor Shortcut For Risk
Dog bites and dog-related injuries are real insurance issues. The Insurance Information Institute reported that dog-related injury claims rose in 2025 and that dog-bite prevention remains important for families, insurers, and communities.3
But breed-based restrictions are a blunt and unfair tool. The American Veterinary Medical Association says breed-specific laws are not a reliable or effective solution for dog-bite prevention.4 The NAIC warns that identifying a dog’s breed based only on appearance or physical traits is not definitive.2
Insurers should be able to consider documented behavior, prior bite claims, official dangerous-dog findings, and other objective risk factors. They should not deny coverage or raise rates simply because a dog is a pit bull-type dog, Rottweiler, German shepherd, Doberman, husky, or any other targeted breed.
Some States Are Already Proving A Better Way
New York law prohibits homeowners insurers from refusing to issue or renew, canceling, charging more, or limiting coverage based solely on owning a dog of a specific breed or breed mix.6 Colorado law also prohibits insurers from asking about a dog’s breed except to ask whether the dog is known to be or has been declared dangerous.7
Michigan lawmakers introduced HB 5580 in 2026 to prohibit residential property insurers from denying, canceling, or raising premiums based on a dog’s breed or breed mix.5
These laws show that reform is possible. The country needs a consistent standard.
Congress, state legislatures, NAIC, and insurance regulators should end breed-based insurance discrimination nationwide while preserving fair tools to address dogs with documented dangerous behavior.
No family should be forced to surrender a dog because an insurance company relied on a breed blacklist.
Sign now to urge lawmakers and regulators to stop dog breed discrimination in homeowners and renters insurance.
