Saturday, January 22, 2011

THE LIST


I've posted about THINKING about getting another dog for Blue and someone said to me - "Does your insurance company allow German Shepherds?" and I was like "What?! Why won't they allow a Shepherd?" So I called my insurance agent and told her that I was JUST thinking about maybe getting a puppy for my dog. I said that I was thinking of either a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd. And I told her that someone had told me to make sure that my insurance company allowed those breeds. WELL! She practically interrupted me and told me that ALL the companies that she writes insurance for would drop me if I got a German Shepherd. She said it was on "The List"!
To be honest, I really didn't like her tone and I asked what else was on the list? She rambled off a few breeds and said there were more. So, I told her that I work at a veterinarian clinic and I'd like to know exactly what is not allowed before something crossed my path and I feel in love with it. So she emailed me the list. Here it is:
"The unacceptable dog breed list is below and they include, but are not limited to:"...(OK, I know what that lingo means. It means definitely NOT any of those breeds but "not limited to" means they can throw some other breed in there if they decide to!)
Amercian Staffordshire Terrier

http://www.recycler.com/
Chow
Doberman
German Shepherd
Husky
Malamute
http://www.dailypuppy.com/puppies/
Pit Bull
Rottweiler



Any dog with a prior bite history
HPIM2257

to be honest, I've been going back and forth in my thoughts about EVEN getting another dog and if I did, I've been leaning towards a Golden Retriever but most likely a Mutt. Probably not a puppy. The problem is that I have a REAL problem with anyone telling me what I can and can't do! It also makes me angry that they list specific breeds when there is good and bad in every breed. Yes, Yes, I realize that some dogs on the list belong to horrible people who use them for dog-fighting. Or for status symbols and try to make them mean so that they look tough in the Hood but this is ridiculous! I have had little daydreams of living out in the country with lots of land and lots of rescues. But insurance companies reach everywhere! Grrrrrrr
This explains why so many of the pets that come to the clinic are listed as "lab mixes" or "boxer mixes" yet that's not what I see when I look at them.
I still don't know what I am going to do except I'm pretty sure I am changing my insurance company.

4 comments:

Georgina said...

HOLY CRAP!!! I never knew anything like that existed with insurance companies!! I had a Belgian Shepard mix...daddy was a German Shepard, but she turned out all black, like her mommy.

She was the best dog ever!! She was very protective of my ex and me...even loved our cat, Tomas, since she was given to us before she was completely weened...Tomas slept with her...I think he was tired of hearing her whimper!! LOL Anyway, when the kids started coming, she was fabulous...she took right to them. The only time she attempted to attack someone, this very strange man came to my door asking for someone and I told him he had the wrong house...there was a group of men waiting for him in an old beater Chevy parked in front of our house. She started snarling and growling before I even opened the door. The guys left and she ran outside and started barking in attack mode. Later on we read in the newspaper, there was a group of Cubans in our city, robbing homes, but making sure no one was home by ringing the door bell...they fit the description of men and car...whew!! Thank God for my Charro...she let them know she wasn't going to have any part of it.

Also, the sweetest dogs I've frequented are Pit Bulls, but they belong to great owners too. I was told by a Dobie breeder once that they have been known to turn on their owners even though they belong to good people...just the breed.

So I'm with you....change insurance companies, if possible. And thanks for mentioning that...never knew such a thing existed...talking about Big Brother...even restricted to the type of dogs we can own without punishment...sheesh!! What do they say about Chihuahuas?? I have two stinky killers sleeping on my couch right now!! LOL

xxoo,
Georgina

Anonymous said...

I don´t think we have any limitations on any breed over here, but I know that there are big problems with German shepherd.

Before it was their hips but now it´s their backs. People like a german shepherd with a sloping back and that gives the poor dog big problems.

Thankfully one can always say that it is a mixed breed one has :-) :-) :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

denise said...

yes, some insurance companies won't insure, some will have higher rates. I was also told that Goldens and Labs are on a list, but it's because if they jump on someone and knock them over. many people don't tell their insurance companies. I knew one woman that had a youngish black lab (I didn't trust him and knew he'd probably bite one day) and he did, a guys hand as he held it out telling it to stop and go back. Her insurance company dropped her and she was having difficulty finding another that would take her. This woman had $$$, too, so she could afford anything but they didn't want anything to do with it.

I was just looking at new insurance quotes and I'm always asked if I have dogs...I'm surprised you haven't had any problems given the pack you have...and the big dog.

Yasmin said...

It is horrible what the human being does with animals and even with races and etnias.. classifying for color, size and other things that only in the head of who seeks more the profit than the the harmony and well to be among all.
Here I already saw dogs of the race German shepherd in rescues sacrifice them of the inundations of Rio de Janeiro and of other catastrophes.
as much the animals as the children they are influenced by the middle in that they live and mainly for the people that create them..If it goes like this then we are going for the children in lists of you didn't also want.
xoxo
yasmin