[PNWPBR]

By ANN ALBRIGHT Columbian Staff Writer A dog with a bad reputation can make life difficult for owner

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, better check with your landlord and insurance company first.

Some of Clark County’s largest property management and insurance companies won’t take clients with dogs that are considered to be aggressive. Those that will often impose steeper fees and require added hassles such as pet interviews that a poodle owner likely wouldn’t face.

In the insurance industry, breed restrictions have been around for at least 15 years, although they’ve become more common in the past five years.

Those on the list go beyond the broad pit bull classification, used to describe a range of breeds such as the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier. Restricted-breed lists often include the Rottweiler, the Akita, the Doberman pinscher, the German shepherd, the chow chow, the presa Canario, dogo Argentino, wolf hybrids and sometimes the Dalmatian, the mastiff and others.

Incidents in Clark County and elsewhere have contributed to the reputations of these breeds.

In April 2004, a bull mastiff and a German shepherd mix fatally mauled an 8-year-old Sifton boy. A pit bull attacked a Vancouver police officer in March 2006, resulting in a recent state Court of Appeals ruling that a dog can be a “deadly weapon” under Washington law.

Because liability coverage under renters and homeowners policies applies to injuries caused by the insured’s animal, insurance companies don’t want to take on clients whose dogs have a history of biting.

Many companies have taken that level of precaution one step further, drawing blanket restrictions based on breed, rather than the individual animal, to minimize risk.

Nationally, dog bites cost insurers $317.2 million annually, according to a 2005 Insurance Information Institute study, the most recent report available.

“I’m a dog lover, and it’s hard to tell someone they can’t get coverage, because their pet may be very nice. But if the breed is notorious for getting hungry and vicious and biting off a hunk of a child’s face, insurance companies shouldn’t have to pay for that. They (insurers) just don’t have a way to police who is a responsible pet owner and who is not,” said Julie Longoria, personal lines agent with Biggs Insurance Services in Vancouver.

Even if the owner of a pit bull or other restricted breed is able to get homeowners or renters insurance, it could cost them twice as much, Longoria said. And the policy could include certain exclusions, meaning that the insured is paying more money for less coverage.

It’s the same story at Farmers Insurance, where owners of dogs on the agency’s list of “aggressive” breeds typically cannot qualify for standard insurance rates, said District Manager Dawn Sinjem in Vancouver.

Property managers, who can be held liable if a tenant’s dog attacks, are taking similar steps to protect themselves.

Vancouver resident Daphna Sharaun didn’t have trouble getting insurance with two pit bulls and an American Staffordshire terrier, but finding a house to rent was another story.

She and her husband owned a home in California. When they were looking to move to the Portland-Vancouver area last year, she pored over the classified ads looking for a place to rent.

Sharaun said she called at least 100 landlords, and only three would consider renting to someone with three pit bulls.

“I definitely can say I feel like a second-class citizen,” said Sharaun, who’s been involved with pit bull rescue for seven years and is a pet adoption counselor with Second Chance Companions in Battle Ground.

Better safe than sorry
Sharaun definitely would have had trouble renting from Key Property Services, which manages more than 2,000 condos, apartments and houses in Clark County.

Vice President Eric Johnson said he won’t rent to people with Doberman pinschers, pit bulls or Rottweilers. For other breeds considered to be potentially troublesome, Key Property Services managers will arrange to meet the dog and will look at American Kennel Club temperament descriptions.

About 10 years ago, Johnson’s nephew was attacked by a neighbor’s Rottweiler, and the family thought he’d lose his arm.

Incidents like that keep Johnson firm on his company’s breed restrictions.

“I’d so much rather be taken to court for a dog discrimination case than face a mother in a hospital whose child had been attacked by a dog we’d allowed on the property,” he said.

Key Property Services isn’t alone in its breed-specific policies, so organizations such as Pacific Northwest Pit Bull Rescue take that into account when placing dogs.

To stop the cycle of pit bulls losing homes, Pacific Northwest Pit Bull Rescue checks with landlords before allowing people to adopt its dogs.

Pit bulls are the dog du jour for people who want to exude a macho image, said Ellena Thomas of Vancouver, who is executive director of Pacific Northwest Pit Bull Rescue. As a result, they often fall into the hands of irresponsible owners who won’t give them the training and affection they need, she said.

Though it’s not as problematic for families as finding insurance or a place to live, some dog trainers also have breed restrictions.

When Leslie Conboy of Vancouver adopted Maple, a pit bull-Labrador retriever, she had trouble finding a trainer to work with her.

Sometimes pit bull owners find themselves persona non grata not just in a dog obedience class or an apartment complex, but in an entire city.

Like landlords, some cities restrict or even ban pit bulls and other breeds deemed dangerous.

While that isn’t the case in Clark County, dog owners need to take that into consideration when relocating, said Dennis Davidson, lead animal control officer with Clark County.

As more restrictions take hold, dog advocates argue that some breeds are being discriminated against. As a result, the policies can create more problems.

Breed-specific legislation, as well as restrictive renting and insurance policies, add to the number of dogs surrendered by owners, Sharaun said.

In the past two months, Second Chance Companions, which helps find homes for pets, has had at least two people in Oregon and Southwest Washington, one with a pit bull mix and the other with a chow chow, ask about putting their dogs up for adoption.

The owners were relocating and didn’t feel confident they could find new residences that would allow their dogs, Sharaun said.

Thomas of Pacific Northwest Pit Bull Rescue compares classifying an entire breed as aggressive to encouraging racism.

“You’re looking at a specific race (of dog), just like a human race,” she said.

Mary Ann Albright can be reached at maryann.albright@columbian.com or 360-759-8019.

Did you know?
. Nationally, about 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs each year, resulting in about 12 fatalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Certain breeds are involved in more fatal attacks than others.
. A CDC study looking at fatal dog bites between 1979 and 1998 determined that the following breeds, listed in descending order, are the most frequent offenders:

1. Pit bull (includes Staffordshire bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier).
2. Rottweiler.
3. German shepherd.
4. Husky.
5. Malamute.
6. Doberman pinscher.
7. Chow chow.
More information is available online at cdc.gov



http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/li...news168274.cfm

[PitRottMommy]

Why isn't the chihuahua listed?

*sigh* Two of my boys are on that list. Actually, they take the cake with the #1 and #2 spots. Why won't people ever learn? *sigh*



Sami

[PNWPBR]

Did anyone notice this statement?

“I’m a dog lover, and it’s hard to tell someone they can’t get coverage, because their pet may be very nice. But if the breed is notorious for getting hungry and vicious and biting off a hunk of a child’s face, insurance companies shouldn’t have to pay for that. They (insurers) just don’t have a way to police who is a responsible pet owner and who is not,” said Julie Longoria, personal lines agent with Biggs Insurance Services in Vancouver.

[LindsaySF]

I sure did. I cringed too.

The statement about the AKC temperament description was interesting too. We all know what temperament (towards humans) our breed should have....