Dear Insurance Companies,

I am writing to you today to ask what it would take to change your policies on insuring homeowners and renters who have family members that happen to be dogs of breeds that you choose not to cover. I’m asking this because, as the owner of two pit bull type dogs, a past owner of Rottweilers, and a dedicated volunteer with animal shelters and rescues, I’m seeing positive changes happening in our country on the way the public and elected officials view dogs previously thought of as inherently dangerous, and I think that you are missing out on a very large opportunity to support hundreds of municipalities in their missions.

Over the last few years, the practice of banning certain breeds of dogs has shifted to treating all dogs as individuals. Every day we hear of more and more cities, towns, and counties overturning outdated legislation. They are no longer trying to enforce costly breed bans and are crafting vicious dog ordinances that cover all breeds equally. They are saving taxpayers money by not spending precious man hours enforcing breed bans, they’re making our communities safer by holding the temperaments of all dogs to the same standard, and they are trusting their constituents to be responsible dog owners without dictating the types of dogs they are allowed to own, effectively giving us the freedom of choice.

There is a growing trend in this nation to save the lives of shelter dogs, rather than euthanizing them for space. Communities are working hard to see that good dogs get a chance at life, and that families get the opportunity to adopt safe, good natured dogs. So many people want to take advantage of this, but too many are robbed of it. They get their hopes up, start an adoption process, and then are devastated because they find out that their insurance companies will no longer cover them if they bring the dog they’ve chosen into their homes.

Your choice to uphold your decision about certain breeds of dogs is hurting municipal and community efforts to save the lives of good, innocent shelter dogs. I’m sure you’ve never thought of it that way before, because I’m confident that you want to support the communities you serve. Your success and reputations rely on community relations, and if you were to follow the national trend, you would revise your policies to match those of the communities you serve.

I am not going to list facts and figures in this appeal to you. I know you’ve seen them in thousands of letters written by other people who would like you to hear them. Facts and figures are valid, but they are not personal. Instead, I ask that you take the time to meet my dog, a pit bull named Admiral. He is the epitome of what a good dog is. He has suffered at the hands of humans, lost his leg to their abuse, and has remained a gentle, loving soul. He has never hurt anyone, even though most people would understand if he did. I also ask that you meet some of his pit bull friends. They’re certified canine good citizens and therapy dogs. One is a service dog for a military veteran. I then ask that you reach out and personally meet some of the dogs that serve our communities in public safety capacities, as well as those who serve us nationally in the military. These dogs, that the average citizen would have a hard time finding insurance to cover, are every day heroes. They deserve to be treated as such. And we, the people, deserve the chance to own them without this obstacle standing in our way.

In closing, I would like to give you one last thing to think about, and that is this: It is much more likely that a human will harm a dog than the other way around. Please. Revise your policies and drop the breed bans. There are a precious few companies that are able to offer us coverage without it affecting their bottom line. I know you can do it too.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully,



Kristie Wood

and all of the undersigned