BOW WOW WOW
April 9th, 2008 | by PraetorOne | Published in Politics | 4 Comments
It is now official.
Insurance companies really suck.
A few months ago we made a decision to get cheaper house insurance. We took a look at American Family, rejected them, and went with a smaller rural based company. Much to our horror they won’t even cover us because we have, according to the agent, “A big German Shepherd. We tried ti explain to this NINNY that our Barney is not a German Shepherd, but rather a Shiloh Shepherd, but that didn’t make any difference. He wouldn’t even sell us a policy unless we got rid of Barney. It took six interviews with different insurance agencies from different companies before we found an agent who was familiar with the Shiloh Shepherd dog.
What you may ask is a Shiloh Shepherd Dog? Succinctly put it is an attempt to breed out the bad effects of interbreeding which have come to plague the German Shepherd dog, although attempts are being made to correct those maladies as well. To achieve that end there was some limited mating with other breeds, coupled with a use of healthy German Shepherd stock to create an entirely differet breed which looks a great deal like the German Shepherd. Qualities bred for included: evenness of temper, strong nerves, intelligence, gentleness with children, strong backs, and an absence of the physical and psycological maladjustments which have become a part of the too interbred German Shepherd dog.
We tried to explain this to the various agents but they’ve become so used to lying to their clients that they probably thought we were lying as well. Now, I can understand why an insurance agent would want to protect his companies ass. Let’s face it, some dogs DO bite more than others. I wouldn’t cover pitbulls if I were an insurance company, but it seems to me that these people have not done their research. For instance. Dobermans are not frequent biters, but insurance companies often refuse to cover families who own Dobermans. Bulldogs are very mellow, boxers can be the most lovable creatures on God’s Green Earth, but they are often rejected as well. Ditto to Shiloh Shepherds. They’re bred for intelligence and gentleness. A fact which was not understood by our insurance agencies. Finally the folks at Rural Farm, a local company here in Wisconsin got it, but this point out what I have always suspected. Insrance companes are getting too involed in our private lives.
The Right Wingers make a brave noise about governmental interference in our lives (so they passed the Patrot Act?!?!) but they seldom seem to grumble when a corporation exerts control over and interferes in the daily management of our personal lives. And that, as far as I’m concerned is the worst kind of hypocrisy.
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April 9th, 2008at 11:51 am(#)
OK, they refuse home insurance due the kind of pet you have???
Learn something new every day…
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April 9th, 2008at 1:31 pm(#)
One agent suggested we get a small terrier or a poodle and put Barney to sleep. That same agent had a boxer in his car and boxers are on the list too. Also, terriers are notorious biters.
April 9th, 2008at 3:00 pm(#)
I agree that insurance companies make decisions based on bullshit. If they have numbers to back up their assertions that would be different, but many times it’s just the same crap as many cities..Breed Specific Legislation. BSL’s are bullshit laws put in place because of bad owners..not bad dogs. Instead of going after the breeders who cater to owners that want an aggressive dog, they just take the easy way out and outlaw entire breeds period.
I owned a pitbull for many years. She died of cancer two years ago last summer. She was the gentlest dog I have ever owned and I have had plenty. She even loved the kittens and cats that screwed with her here in our house. She is missed every day of my life. BadRap.org has received some of the pit’s from Michael Vicks home in VA, a direct result of their hiring a lawyer and pushing for the victims..aka the dogs, to receive a chance to be rehabilitated, it was a precedent-setting case. Most, if not all of them had been placed in dogfights by Vick and his fucked up friends and they have the permanent scars to prove it. Only two of the 50 dogs had to be put down..one due to illness and one female who would never be rehabilitated and hated humans after what had been done to her.
I realize this comment is long..but I take issue with anyone assuming anything about any breed of dog be it an insurance agent or just a guy on the street. If your interested in this subject of Vicks Dogs, please visit BadRaps website here:
http://www.badrap.org/rescue/
They have videos of these dogs right after they were picked up at Vicks property, as BadRap checked them out and tested them..and the final product..all of the ones that BadRap was entrusted with are in loving homes with children and other dogs. It’s amazing what a little love, obedience and TLC can do for a creature that has been victimized it’s entire life for someone’s sick idea of fun and profit.
Please do not think I am addressing this comment to you PraetorOne..this is a soapbox I get on every chance I find.
May 1st, 2008at 10:34 pm(#)
Pet Illness…
That is so true. At first, I was turned off by what you said, but then as I thought about it,…