Pit bull owners lose homeowners insurance

Brad Reinke opened a letter last month from an insurance underwriting specialist and learned he had seven months to find a new home for his family’s pit bulls or lose his home insurance. “Due to a potential liability hazard, the aggressive dog should be removed from the premises,” the letter from Shelter Insurance Companies read. “No aggressive dog or aggressive breed of dog should replace this dog.” Such ultimatums are not uncommon for home owners who have what insurance companies deem “dangerous dog” breeds. Dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims paid out in 2012, costing more than $489 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). There were 16,459 dog bite claims last year. The average cost of settling those claims was $29,752.