Dog ownership can be terribly expensive. Our King Charles Cavalier, Lincoln, or President Lincoln if you are not on familiar terms, has a super-sensitive digestive system, so in addition to being regulars at our vet’s office, he eats prescription dog food and often needs a pill to calm his stomach. A friend of a friend just paid $4,000 to have her dog’s knee repaired after he tore his ACL.
Unfortunately, dogs are costing their owners and insurers even larger sums thanks to a nationwide increase in dog bite claims. Last year alone, dog bite claims accounted for a whopping one-third of all homeowners’ liability claims and totaled nearly $700 million dollars. In addition, the severity of dog bite injuries is increasing as too are the amount of the payouts (either via settlement or court judgments). So what should responsible dog owners do to protect their self and, just as importantly, others? Continue reading