Ending Insurance Company Breed Discrimination and Pet Stores Selling Dogs and Cats
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Homeowners, rental and condo insurance should never discriminate based on dog breed alone.
Listen HERE for my conversation from Steve Dale’s Other World, WGN radio with Senator Linda Holmes 42nd District ,who is running a Bill HB 1049, previously approved by the Illinois House of Representatives that will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against presumed dog breed. Presumed breed because sometimes they don’t even get the breed right.
What’s more, insurance is regulated state by state. For example a Doberman in Illinois may be banned by insurance company X, but in Indiana that same insurance company may be just fine with Dobermans. How can a breed be automatically considered dangerous in one state and not another state?
Bottom line: There is no data to indicate any dog breed is inherently dangerous.
Also, most people who adopt a dog don’t know to check their insurance carrier first and are shocked to learn that their presumed breed is banned, so if something happens the insurance is not covering. This profiling could even discourage people from adopting homeless dogs.
Of course, if a dog is problematic from Pomeranian to pit bull to Pug, that’s another story, Holmes says. Then the insurance is right making a decision based on the individual dog.
Arizona, Michigan, New York, Nevada and Pennsylvania have all passed similar laws, and without any known increase in dog bites or claims.
Wiggling Around Pet Store Sales
Pet store sales of dogs and cats have been banned in Illinois, but go into some Illinois pet stores and they’re evading the law, and still selling dogs and cats. Senator Holmes explains how a few pet stores are getting away with it.
There’s also a law to prevent exorbitant payment plans which often pet stores have, and that’s being ignored as well.
There’s tons of money being spent on lobbyists, Sen. Holmes says she’s never seen so many lobbyists work a bill; and Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin won’t allow the bill to be called in order to close the loophole of the previous bill which was passed in a bipartisan fashion. Of course, Meyers-Martin likely knows if she allows the bill to be heard, the loophole will be closed – which will halt the puppy mill pipeline into Illinois. If you live in Illinois, speak up and contact your State Senator.