INSURANCE BLACKLIST HAS TEETH SOME FIRMS DENY POLICY IF HOME HAS CERTAIN DOG.Byline: Marie Leech leech, predacious or parasitic annelid worm of the class Hirudinea, characterized by a cylindrical or slightly flattened body with suckers at either end for attaching to prey. Staff Writer From behind bars, Pebbles stares pitifully pit·i·ful adj. 1. Inspiring or deserving pity. 2. Arousing contemptuous pity, as through ineptitude or inadequacy. See Synonyms at pathetic. 3. Archaic Filled with pity or compassion. at workers and potential owners walking by. There's only one person she wants to see, but Walter Baires won't come. He was forced to turn Pebbles in to the Pasadena Humane Society A humane society is a group that aims to stop animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons. Examples Examples of humane societies include: The Humane Society of the United States, Peninsula Humane Society, American Humane which was founded in 1877 as a network of Tuesday after four years together because he was denied renter's insurance for owning a rottweiler Rottweiler (rŏt`wīlər), breed of sturdy working dog developed from a Roman cattle dog introduced into S Germany more than 1,900 years ago. It stands from 21 3-4 to 27 in. (55.3–68. . ``It was pretty hard giving her up. I was so nervous I couldn't even fill out the papers,'' he said. ``(Insurance companies) are only in it for the money; they want to protect themselves. But it's not fair for those of us who want a certain breed of dog.'' That issue seems to be a growing problem for dog owners across California and much of the nation as insurance companies say certain breeds of dogs are eating into their pocketbooks. ``If you have a dog that's aggressive or vicious, you're not going to get insured,'' said Lisa Wannamaker, spokeswoman for Allstate Insurance Co. in California. Based on dog bite dog bite Public health The clamping of skin and subjacent soft tissues between the upper and lower mandible of a canine, which may cause infections, acting as a disease vector or even death. See Dog. statistics researched by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Allstate recently comprised a list of eight dogs they won't insure. On the list are Akitas, boxers, chow chows, Doberman pinschers, pit bulls, American Staffordshire bull terriers Staffordshire bull terrier a small (24-38 lb), very muscular and solidly built dog with broad head, moderately short muzzle, half-pricked ears and medium length tail. The coat is smooth and short and comes in many colors. See also american staffordshire terrier. , rottweilers and wolf hybrids. ``If you have any of these dogs, we will not give you homeowners insurance, period,'' Wannamaker said. ``But it's not necessarily limited to these breeds, we look at the history of any dogs and if they have a history of attacking or biting, we won't insure you.'' The high-profile criminal case against the owners of a pair of presa canarios that killed a woman in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden has increased awareness that dog-bite victims can seek recompense RECOMPENSE. A reward for services; remuneration for goods or other property. 2. In maritime law there is a distinction between recompense and restitution. (q.v. , Wannamaker said. Last year, insurance companies industrywide paid out $310 million in dog bite claims, up from $295 million in 2000, said Omar Morales, spokesman for the nonprofit Insurance Information Network of California. Many insurance companies, including Prudential, AAA AAA: see American Automobile Association. (Triple A) A common single-cell battery used in a myriad of electronic devices of all variety. Like its double A (AA) cousin, it provides 1.5 volts of DC power. When used in series, the voltage is multiplied. and Nationwide Mutual Insurance, have developed their own lists and won't give renter's or homeowner's insurance to owners of these dogs. Other insurance companies will cover a home, but they won't cover the dog. Keith Scott This article is about Keith Scott, the Canadian musician. For the Australian-born voice actor named Keith Scott, see Keith Scott. Keith Douglas Scott (born 20 July 1954) is a Canadian guitar player. , an insurance agent for Prudential in Monrovia, said his agency has become tougher over the years when it comes to dog breeds. ``We won't write anyone a policy who has had an incident in the last five years (with their dog),'' he said. Prudential's list of banned dogs is much like Allstate's, but doesn't include chow chows or boxers. However, it did add St. Bernards and mastiffs to its list. The CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation considers pit bulls, rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chow chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas among the highest-risk biters. Steve McNall, executive director of the Pasadena Humane Society, said many of the breeds blacklisted are not mean at all. ``Insurance companies obviously need to protect their investment, but I think it's more fair to look at the history of the dog than it is to say, we're just not going to insure these breeds at all,'' he said. ``Breed discrimination on any level is inappropriate.'' The No. 1 types of dogs McNall sees that bite involve little dogs like Chihuahuas and poodles, he said. ``But with those (large) breeds, it's not the number of bites, it's the severity of the bite,'' he added. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. attorney Kenneth Phillips, considered the nation's leading expert in dog bite law, said it's a travesty that insurance companies are avoiding paying for bite claims. ``It's a horrible, horrible twist for not only the dog owners, but also for potential victims,'' he said. ``One snap of a dog's jaws and you can lose your house.'' ``How do you tell someone whose face needs to be reconstructed or who has thousands of dollars in medical bills that you can't help them because the person doesn't have insurance?'' Phillips said. ``I can't do anything because if I file a lawsuit, they can declare bankruptcy.'' Dog bites fall under the liability portion of the homeowner policy, which must provide $100,000 to $300,000 for liability. If the claim is above the policy limit, the insured will be held liable for the remainder, Morales said. PROFILE: AGGRESSIVE BREEDS Insurance companies accross the state are refusing to insure homeowners and renters that own certain breeds of dogs, saying dog-injury claims have become too big of a liability. The dogs most frequently blacklisted are: Akita Weight: 75-110 pounds. Height: 24-28 inches Coat: Stiff, moderately short Color: White, pied pied a coat color in dogs that consists of uneven patches or spots of color on a white or cream background. or brindle brindle a pattern of coat pigmentation in which darker hairs form bands on a lighter background. A common coat color in Great Danes and Boston terriers. with or without mask Chow chow Weight: 45-70 pounds Height: 19-20 inches Coat: Long or short spritzlike Color: Tan, red, cream, black, silver-gray Doberman pinscher Weight: 66-88 pounds Height: 24-28 inches Coat: Smooth and short Color: Black, red, tan with markings Husky Weight: 60-105 pounds Height: 20-27 inches Coat: 3 to 6 inches thick Color: Any color or combination of colors Presa Canario Weight: 84-110 pounds Height: 21-25 inches Coat: Short, smooth but coarse Color: Brindle, fawn, some white Rottweiler Weight: 90-110 pounds Height: 22-27 inches Coat: Short, smooth Color: Black and tan Black and Tan Member of a British auxiliary force employed in Ireland against the republicans (1920–21). When Irish nationalist agitation intensified after World War I, many Irish police resigned and were replaced by these temporary English recruits, who dressed in a only Staffordshire terrier Staffordshire terrier, breed of strong, muscular terrier developed in England in the early 19th cent. It stands from 17 to 19 in. (43.1–48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 35 to 50 lb (15.9–22.7 kg). (pit bull) Weight: 24-38 pounds Height: 14-16 inches Coat: Short, smooth Color: Red, beige, white, black, brindle, with or without markings. SOURCES: Staff research CANINE FACTOIDS There are 4.7 million victims of dog bites annually. Of that, 800,000 need medical attention. Fifteen to 20 people die annually of dog attacks in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . Bites to children make up 50 percent of dog-bite cases. An American has a 1-in-50 chance of being bitten by a dog each year. In the United States from 1979 to 1996, 304 people died from dog attacks, including 30 in California. Most were children. Dog-attack victims in the United States suffer more than $1 billion in monetary losses each year. In 1995, State Farm insurance paid $70 million on 11,000 dog-bite claims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. compiled a list of dogs most likely to bite: pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Doberman pinschers, chow chows, Great Danes, St. Bernards and Akitas. In California, it's a felony to possess a dog trained to fight, attack or kill. There is an eight-out-of-10 chance that a biting dog is male. CAPTION(S): 8 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Walter Baires, 30, of Pasadena is sad that he had to give up his Rottweiler named Pebbles to the Pasadena Humane Society because of insurance restrictions on pet ownership. (2 -- color) Akita (3 -- color) Chow chow (4 -- color) Doberman pinscher (5 -- color) Husky (6 -- color) Presa canario (7 -- color) Rottweiler (8 -- color) Staffordshire terrier (pit bull) Box: (1) PROFILE: AGGRESSIVE BREEDS (see text) (2) CANINE FACTOIDS (see text) |
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