Handler Assistance Dog Insurance

Whether you have a ‘doggie’ savings account or pet insurance, every dog owner should have a financial back-up plan to cover their dog’s emergency costs and or public accidents should they arise.  Budget on approximately $1000 per year for insurance.

In-Training:

Whether  a dog is ‘in-training’ or fully certified under the DDA92 or GHAD’09 , it is strongly recommended that every handler has insurance covering 3rd party liability.  It is up to the handler to do their due diligence and find the right plan for you.  Your chosen company may offer a discount if your dog is fully certified as a working Assistance Animal under federal or state certification.

Liability for damage caused by a Service / Assistance Dog - Assistance Dogs International (ADI).

The owner of an assistance dog is solely liable for any damage to persons, premises, or facilities including places of public accommodation, public conveyances or transportation services, common carrier of passengers, places of housing accommodations, and places of employment caused by that assistance dog.

An “Individual with a disability”, including but not limited to, the blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or otherwise disabled who uses an assistance dog shall keep the dog properly harnessed or Ieashed, and a person who is injured by the dog because of an “Individual with a disability”, including but not limited to, the blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or otherwise disabled failure to properly harness or leash the dog (unless the dog is performing a cued ‘task’) is entitled to maintain a cause of action for damages in a court of competent jurisdiction under the same laws applicable to other causes brought for the redress of injuries caused by animals.

Source: Assistance Dogs International