Yesterday, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Senate voted amended S. 1386, concerning dog breed insurance underwriting and service dogs, favorably. Amended S. 1386 was immediately transferred to the House and placed on its calendar for a vote. Connecticut residents are strongly encouraged to contact your state Representative with your strong support.
As noted in the American Kennel Club’s (AKC’s) detailed prior alert, the bill would prohibit homeowners’ insurance and renters’ insurance policies from discriminating based on harboring or owning any dog of a specific breed or mixture of breeds. Insurers would no longer be able to cancel, refuse to issue, or renew any homeowners or renters insurance policy, or charge an increased premium, unless an individual dog has been designated as dangerous. In addition, the state would evaluate the feasibility of establishing penalties for the intentional misrepresentation of a dog as a service animal.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Find contact information for your “State Representative” on this form by clicking on your town and street name before entering your street number.
- On the top line, click on the name of your “State Representative” to be taken to their website and contact information.
- Request strong support of amended S. 1386 – Calendar Number 665.
TALKING POINTS:
- Insurance companies should determine coverage of a dog-owning household based on the dog’s deeds, not the dog’s breed.
- If a dog is a well-behaved member of the household and the community, there is no reason to deny or cancel coverage.
- Fraudulent misrepresentation of pets as service dogs seriously undermines the ability of individuals with disabilities who truly need properly trained service dogs to conduct their daily activities.
For more information on these or other legislative issues in Connecticut, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at 919-816-3720 or doglaw@akc.org.