Nevada bill blocks home insurance companies from discriminating against dog breeds

Home insurance - bill to stop discriminating dog breeds

Pet owners will now be able to choose any breed they want without risk of challenges from their insurers.

Dog owners will now face fewer challenges from housing and home insurance companies regardless of the breed of pet they have or want to adopt.

Certain breeds or sizes of dog are often not accepted in apartments and affordable housing.

Dogs such as German Shepherds, Pit Bulls or even any large breed are commonly not acceptable in apartments or affordable housing. There are also many home insurance companies that will refuse to issue a policy, that will refuse to renew, or that will cancel a policy because of the presence of a certain breed or breed mix. There are also many that will charge a higher rate to policyholders with these pets.

Senate Bill 103 in Nevada now states that “Insurers will no longer be able to use a breed of a dog to refuse to issue; cancel; refuse to renew; or increase the premium or rate of a policy of insurance based on a specific breed of dog or mixture of breed of dogs.”

Home insurance - Pit Bull dog looking out window

The bill stops home insurance companies from discriminating against dog breeds or sizes.

Before this bill became effective at the start of 2022, owners of certain dog breeds were required to seek a specific property that deems their pet acceptable, pay higher premiums to their home insurance companies, or may even be forced to surrender their pet to a shelter to find affordable coverage or housing.

Nevada Humane Society Clinical Manager Rebecca Goff said that this bill means a lot to the shelter. “I was able to testify at the different hearings about this bill and how this bill would benefit the Nevada Humane Society and our community as a whole. We’re here to serve the homeless animals of our community, we’re here to serve the people of our community. Our goal is to help keep animals with their families and this bill is going to help do that,” said Goff.

Home insurance companies are still permitted to refuse, cancel, or increase the premiums of a dog owner when an individual dog has a history of being vicious or dangerous. However, insurers are now required to include that language in their policies, and they are still permitted to not consider a dog on the property.

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