Get the FAQs

Canine Liability Insurance is issued as a standalone policy that covers injuries and property damage by your dog if it bites, scratches, scares, or causes a person to fall. This policy will also cover injuries to another animal caused by your dog. It pays for medical expenses, veterinarian fees, legal fees, and settlements up to the policy limits.

More than 4.7 million people are injured each year by dogs, according to the CDC, with the majority being children under 10. What’s more, the average claim today runs more than $50,000. But many homeowners and renters insurance policies are either excluding Dog Bite Liability coverage or limiting coverage to certain breeds. In addition, increasingly more landlords and homeowners who rent their apartments and homes are asking potential tenant/dog owners to purchase a Canine Liability Insurance Policy.

Dean Insurance Agency is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has been providing business and personal insurance to clients since 1994. We developed the Canine Liability Insurance Policy in 2012 and have issued more than 10,000 policies. Our policy is underwritten with a top-tier, AM Best “A” rated insurance company.

You can purchase our policy in every state except Alaska and Kentucky.

This policy covers you anywhere in the United States, on or off your premises.

Coverage under this policy is for a term of one year, and you can choose to pay in full or use our easy payment plan option.

Yes! Some limitations do apply, and each dog must qualify individually, but you can have as many dogs as you like on a single policy.

Simply click the “Get a Quote” button, complete the quote process and your quote will display on the screen for your review. If you decide you’d like to purchase the policy, go to your Insured Portal. Once you pay for the policy, it will be delivered to your Insured Portal. Remember, a quote does NOT OBLIGATE YOU TO PURCHASE ANYTHING.

You have four options for coverage: $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and $300,000.

Our policies do not have a deductible, saving you hundreds if not thousands of dollars if there is a claim.

Yes, we cover all breeds, including those normally considered dangerous such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Saint Bernard’s, Great Danes, Dobermans, and Huskies, whether pure or mixed breeds.

Our rating/underwriting system uses advanced technology that will quickly review your dog’s history. Sometimes, we may need additional information in order to offer coverage.

We are ready to review all dogs. Labels vary widely and often the incident doesn’t fit the label.

Yes, we are happy to assist and, if necessary, we can extend your coverage to a third party like a landlord or roommate.

Yes, we can provide coverage provided the policy is in the name of the dog’s owner. To extend coverage, we can add the landlord and/or company as additional insureds which provides coverage for them.

Yes, we can provide coverage if you use your dog in your line of work, and it is considered to be “involved” or “integral” to the work you do. Examples could be counselors, therapists, or other types of work.

You may be asked to name your landlord, employer, a governmental entity, or other interested parties on the policy in case your dog injures someone or causes damage. You may add one or more, but you must include their name, address, and contact information (either phone or e-mail). There is an additional charge for each named insured added to your policy.

If your dog injures a person or another animal and your landlord or other “additional insured” is sued, this policy will protect you and your landlord (and any other “additional insured”) for medical costs for the injured party, defense costs and settlement costs, if any.

No, you do not need to add a spouse, significant other, or family member as an “additional insured”, if they reside at the same address as you, as they are already covered under the policy.

Our Insured Portal makes it easy for you to make changes to your account information, update your address, add or remove a dog, and to manage other important areas of your account.

No, the policy cannot be assigned or transferred to a new owner. Policies are specific and will only cover the named dog and parties on that policy.

The policy can be canceled at any time. If there are any “additional insureds”, we have an obligation to notify them of the cancelation. After the first 90 days, the return premium is determined by your individual states’ laws and regulations; however, no fees are ever returned. Should you purchase the policy and decide to cancel for any reason (even minutes later), 25% of the premium is nonrefundable.

Your policy can be managed through your Insured Portal. Just go to your portal and make the request using the form presented.

All installments will be drawn directly from your account without additional action by you. If you are canceled for nonpayment of premium (for insufficient funds in your account), we will return any premium that has been paid but not earned (meaning used up). Fees will not be refunded and we cannot reinstate your coverage. Again, we are obligated to notify any and all “additional insureds” of cancelation.

Starting at about 4 weeks prior to policy expiration, you will receive a series of emails giving you instructions on how to renew. If you do not want to renew, simply opt out.

This policy was designed with a unique rating and underwriting process. The questions you answer give us the information we need to determine if we can offer you a quote and for what price. Automation is necessary to readily assist as many owners as possible at the lowest cost, and to do so in the most efficient and timely manner.

Our policy is available through the Excess and Surplus marketplace. These types of policies are often called non-admitted or non-licensed. The primary difference between this policy and an admitted policy is that if the insurance company were to go out of business, there would be no protection under your State Guaranty Fund. However, our policy is underwritten with an AM Best “A” rated insurance company. AM Best is a global credit rating agency founded more than 120 years ago and highly regarded as providing a benchmark for assessing the financial stability and credit worthiness of insurers and the insurance industry. In assessing an insurance company’s financial strength, AM Best completes a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative review of its financial statements, reinsurance, business plans and actuarial reporting. Once the appropriate documents have been reviewed, the rating agency analyzes financial health factors such as credit, interest rates, regulations, and underwriting criteria. It then uses peer benchmarks to assess where on the scale each company fits within the industry as a whole. An “A” rating indicates that an insurance company has an “excellent” ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations.

To acknowledge that you have been made aware that the policy is with a non-admitted company, you will have to sign a form predetermined by your state.