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Every state and US territory has a dedicated insurance commissioner who wants to know about your experience with exclusionary breed restrictions. Their job is to protect you, not big business.
Contact your commissioner below and share your story of how breed restrictions have affected you or your community.
Dear [INSURANCE COMMISSIONER NAME]:
I am writing to you because [INSURANCE COMPANY NAMES] has denied me insurance coverage because my pet dog is assumed to be a risk. [INSURANCE COMPANY] discriminated against me solely because of a breed label as they have never met my dog nor does my dog have any history of causing injury.. . I am a loving and responsible dog owner. When insurance companies exclude my dog they are excluding me. ” *Then you can go on to tell your commissioner about your dog and how important your dog is to you and your family. You can also talk about how being denied insurance has affected you.
Physical appearance and breed labels do not predict behavior. It is my hope that you will consider the information I have included and prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against pet owners like me.
To include references you can either download and print PDF to mail, download and attach PDF to your email, or provide the following link to the PDF in your letter https://bit.ly/3Blv5UC
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
also consider including a photo of you and your dog.
Fill out the form below to email your state insurance commissioner directly.
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Complaint forms can seem lengthy, however only a few fields are actually required to submit. If you don’t have all of the information they ask for, you can usually skip those sections. The most important thing is to make your point in the “details of the complaint” and “desired resolution” sections.
Here are are examples on how to respond to those two sections.
Details of Complaint:
“[INSURANCE COMPANY NAME’S] has denied me insurance coverage because my pet dog is assumed to be a risk. [INSURANCE COMPANY] discriminated against me solely because of a breed label as they have never met my dog nor does my dog have any history of causing injury. I am a loving and responsible dog owner. When insurance companies exclude my dog they are excluding me. ”
Then you can go on to tell your commissioner about your dog and how important your dog is to you and your family. You can also talk about how being denied insurance has affected you.
Desired Resolution:
Physical appearance and breed labels do not predict behavior. It is my hope that you will consider the information I have included and prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against pet owners like me. You can include this link for your commissioners to reference the research: https://bit.ly/3Blv5UC
Upload Section:
Your complaint form may have an upload section. Here you want to include proof of denial, if you have it. Including screenshots from insurance websites showing you were denied. You can upload a photo of you and your dog. You can also attach this downloadable PDF of research supporting your claim.
Click on your state below for a link to your states online insurance complaint form.
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Read up about breed-specific legislation and how it impacts families and communities.
Animal Farm Foundation (AFF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization built on the principle that all dogs are individuals. Our Foundation relies on science-based information about animal behavior and public policy, including breed-specific legislation and housing insurance discrimination, derived from our subsidiary National Canine Research Council. AFF’s team offers regional and national initiatives that support dogs and the people who care for them in their communities.
NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets Shelter/Rescue Registration: RR286