Connecticut's Dog Bite Law and Your Homeowners Insurance: Strict Liability, Breed Rules, and Umbrella Gaps

Short answer: Under C.G.S. 22-357, a dog's owner or keeper in Connecticut is strictly liable for damage the dog does to a person or property. The injured person does not have to prove the dog was dangerous or the owner careless. The exceptions are narrow: the victim was trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog, and a child under seven is presumed not to have done so. Homeowners liability coverage usually responds, but some insurers exclude certain breeds or dogs with a bite history, and umbrellas may follow those exclusions.

How strict liability works in Connecticut

• Owner or keeper: liability attaches to the owner and to anyone harboring or caring for the dog, which can include a house-sitter, a dog walker, or a relative keeping the dog.
• Person or property: the statute covers injuries to people and damage to property, including another person's companion animal, with veterinary costs recoverable.
• Negligence claims can also be brought, and landlords who knew of a dangerous tenant's dog have faced claims as well.

How insurance responds

• Homeowners or renters liability generally covers dog-bite claims against the insured household, up to the liability limit, plus defense.
• Breed and history exclusions: some carriers exclude specific breeds, dogs with prior bites, or dogs that have been declared dangerous. Others underwrite the individual dog. Read the policy and disclose your dogs accurately.
• Umbrella: many umbrellas follow the underlying exclusions; if the homeowners policy excludes your dog, the umbrella may too.
• Canine liability policies exist for dogs excluded elsewhere.
• Business use: boarding, breeding, training or walking dogs for pay is a business and typically excluded from homeowners coverage.

Why claim values are high

Dog-bite claims frequently involve facial injuries to children, plastic surgery and scarring, and they cost tens of thousands of dollars on average nationally. With strict liability, defense is about damages more than fault. Liability limits of $500,000 or more plus an umbrella are prudent for households with dogs and frequent visitors.

Practical steps

• Disclose every dog, with breed and any incident history, when you buy or renew.
• Report any bite promptly, even a minor one; late notice complicates coverage.
• Confirm the umbrella does not exclude your dog.
• Make sure household staff and dog walkers know the dog's triggers, and that walkers carry their own liability coverage.

New England Insurance, an independent Connecticut agency in Bridgeport since 2012, can find carriers that underwrite your dog individually rather than by breed list. See umbrella insurance or request a review.

General information, not legal advice.