Pet Peeve

I have a bone to pick with the insurance industry. Why is an industry that loses billions on cat losses every year so hot under the collar about dogs?

You don’t have to be a poodle to know that with about 5 million dog bites reported every year, there is something going on. According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog bites now fetch about $346 million, accounting for about one-quarter of all homeowners insurance liability claims, and the number of canine cases is rising.

OK, so there’s a problem. But it’s not fair to blame all dogs for the sins of a few. There are an estimated 50 million dogs in the U.S. So, we’re talking maybe 10 percent of the dogs causing all the claims. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!

Most insurance companies insure homeowners with dogs, that is, until there is a biting incident. One no-fault nip and the insurers retreat with their tails between their legs.

Why are underwriters acting like scaredy-cats over dogs? Because they only hear about the bad puppies. They don’t know good dogs or the good things dogs do:

It’s clear that, contrary to the popular “dog’s life” image of canines as lazy, many pets are hard-working, obedient citizens. So are their owners, some of whom work in the insurance business as underwriters but apparently choose not to bite the hand that feeds them. As for me, I just can’t let sleeping dogs lie.

Doodle is a mixed breed of his Golden Retriever mother and Standard Poodle father. He is a member and past president of the Society of Chartered Protective Canine Underwriters (CPCU). He is president of K-9 Special Risks in Barkeyville, Pa., with a branch office in Dog Walk, Ky. He can be reached at raleighdoodledoodle@comcast.net.