Everybody loves a well-trained dog, but does your insurance company?
I recently heard on the radio that a neighboring community was holding a ceremony honoring a K-9 Officer that had to be put down. The public was invited! Clearly this was no average dog and our society puts special value on police dogs. K-9 Units have been increasing in popularity and the K-9 Officers have been increasing in value. Has your insurance coverage kept up with the times?
The typical insurance coverage for a K-9 Unit extends your liability coverage for the dog and its handlers but most municipality programs cover the value of the dog itself on the property policy and do so with some serious coverage shortcomings in both limits and in covered causes of loss.
The typical policy will cover a certified and trained canine “for sudden and accidental death occurring during active duty.” The coverage also extends to death ordered by a veterinarian due to injuries sustained while actively performing duties related to their job and job training. Unfortunately, dogs can die from many other causes and the value of the dog is lost regardless of how that happens.
We recommend you consider Animal Mortality Coverage which is similar to a life insurance policy and can cover “Death due to an accident, injury, sickness, or disease, or theft” regardless of whether they are on active duty or not. For a very reasonable cost, the mortality policy can provide much higher limits specific to each dog than most property policies and the coverage does not have the “active duty” restriction.
A K-9 Officer is a valuable asset which should be properly insured for loss but special attention needs to be paid to the details. Insurance coverage shortcomings will be under special scrutiny by other officials and their constituents.
