So, you own a pit bull.

Last week I got a call from a potential customer and she was trying to get renter's insurance so that she could move into a house the next day. Normally, this is an easy thing to do. It usually takes about 15 minutes and I'm able to email over all the documents for electronic signatures. But, as you might imagine from the headline we ran into a little issue when I asked if she had any dogs.
Now, I love dogs. I mentioned a few months back that I had waited my whole life to finally get a dog and I couldn't be happier with my furry buddy. Unfortunately, not all insurance companies love all dog breeds. There are several companies that will not offer home insurance if you own one of their excluded breeds. Pit Bulls are one of the breeds insurance companies don't like. Now, if you are confident your dog won't bike anyone. Or, if you are just willing to pay out any damages on your own you can pick a company that excludes coverage for your dog. What that means is that they will insure you and your property. They will cover if someone tripped over your hose or slipped on your wet floor. But, if your dog bites someone they will not cover any damages. You the dog owner would be fully responsible. 
Every so often I have someone call me and when I ask about dogs they tell me it is a mixed breed or they aren't really sure what kind of dog they have. Usually, when I press for what the mix the dog is I find out it is an excluded breed. A lot of companies will still excluded mixed breed dogs if one of those breeds is excluded. 
When you are looking for home or renter's insurance make sure you are honest with your insurance agent. They are there to help you and do what is best for you. I still have a company that will cover all breeds of dogs except if they have a bite history. It is a much better option to pay a little bit more and know your dog is covered. If you are unable to find a company that will cover the dog there are options online for a liability policy for dogs. They aren't cheap but they are available.
I was all ready to sign this person up with renter's insurance but when I went to bind the coverage I couldn't. Yes, there was a brush fire in the area and the company wouldn't let me bind because of the nearby fire.
So, here's the moral to the story. If you have a breed of dog that may be excluded from insurance don't wait until the last minute to get insurance. If this person had called a week or two before needing the insurance she would have had the policy in hand and been able to move in.  If you are signing a lease get your renter's insurance started the same day. We can future date most policies between 30 and 60 days. 951-395-0754 for your quotes.