Insurance Legislation Alert

Legislation has once again been introduced (H1016) that would prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against homeowners based on the breed of dog they own. A similar bill was considered in Washington last year but failed to pass. Your help is needed to ensure that this positive legislation is finally enacted into law! Finding and keeping homeowners' insurance has been a growing problem for responsible dog owners in recent years. In many instances, families have had no choice but to give up their canine companions because of exorbitant premiums or companies' outright refusal to cover their breed. H1016 presents a very reasonable alternative—insurance companies can raise rates or refuse coverage only if a dog has been deemed dangerous based on existing state law.

The American Kennel Club believes that insurance companies should determine coverage of a dog-owning household based on the dog's deeds, not the dog's breed, and we encourage your support of this important bill!

What You Can Do:

Contact your state legislators and ask them to support H1016. To find out who represents you, visit: http://www.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx.

Watch AKC's Web site for additional information as developments occur.