There are dozens of dog breeds (and mixes) that end up on rental and home insurance breed ban lists, not just dogs labeled “pit bull.” This makes renting or owning a home even more difficult in an already challenging market.
State Farm is one of the most well-known home and rental insurance companies without dog breed restrictions, but there are others. Here’s the full list:
These insurance companies use current scientific data to create their policies, rather than outdated stereotypes about dog breeds and the people who own them.
Unfortunately, the insurance industry as a whole continues to uphold policies that are rooted in the discriminatory history of redlining (a practice of not providing insurance to communities predominately of color or lower-income).
Not only does modern canine science disprove the theory that some breeds bite more than others, the insurance industry fail to make its own case. A “risk analysis” from data gathered in Massachusetts is flawed on many levels. Not only is the data incomplete and subjective, the analysis is not consistent with scientific standards.
We don’t believe that every individual who stands by these policies understands their history or is even aware of their own internal bias toward these communities. Internal bias is difficult to identify and it’s no secret that old habits die hard in corporate America, which often defaults to “well, this is the way its always been done” mode of thinking.
The insurance industry can move forward with your help. You can write your state’s insurance commissioner and tell them to end housing insurance dog breed restrictions.
