The financial risk of pet ownership: Here's what can happen if your dog bites someone
You may have added a new member to your family during the pandemic. Did you tell your insurance company about it? Pets are great but they come with financial risk.
There has been a reported surge in dog bites. One U.S. children’s hospital reported a 300 per cent increase, and it could be due to a number of factors a play including more stress in the home. When a dog bites, the consequences are devastating for the victim and can be financially crippling for a dog’s owner. Expensive lawsuits are common after vicious attacks.
Sandra Wong in Burnaby recently got a new puppy. It is a Bernedoodle named Ollie, a cross between a Bernese Mountain dog and a Poodle. She says it is her first dog and she chose it because of its docile nature. However, she is taking him to behavioural classes and receiving training herself to ensure he grows into a well-behaved pup.
“You can tell he’s a bit of an alpha male. You can already sense that in him,” Wong said.
Animals like people can be unpredictable. Sometimes a calm animal can be provoked and bite. Others can attack without provocation.
If you got a pandemic pet, you need to protect yourself.
“Let your insurance representative know that you do have a pet,” explained Rob de Prius, director of consumer and industry relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“I just literally had to go online and click that I have a puppy now,” said Wong.
Typically, homeowners’ and renters’ insurance will cover you for up to $1 million in liability. The insurer will want to know the breed and size of your dog and other details including, vet care, inoculations, etc.
If you live in a condominium or rent, you’ll need to check your building’s by-laws before you get a pet.
“Review the by-laws because if they don’t allow a pet that could potentially invalidate your insurance coverages,” said de Prius. “Full disclosure is always the best policy.”
You also need to check local city regulations to see if certain breeds are restricted. The bigger the dog, the bigger the bite and if someone is attacked the injuries could be catastrophic and long lasting.
“I hope you never have to use it but if you ever do, you want to make sure that you’re covered fully,” Wong said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.