← 🏘️ Contractors, tenants, and neighbors guides

"Pet Losses: Bites and Stove Fires"

"Pets cause two kinds of losses you can recover. Bites and attacks: someone else's dog bites your insured or damages their property, or your insured pays a medical or liability claim for a bite that was really another person's responsibility. Pet-started fires: a dog or cat jumps on the stove and turns a knob, and food left on the burner catches fire. If it's your insured's own pet in your insured's home, it's usually an accident. If a tenant, a pet sitter, or a boarder was in charge of the pet, there's often a recovery."

What it coversDog bites to property, pets turning on stove knobs, tenants vs. insureds

Step-by-step checklist

Identify

Contact the claim adjuster right away. Ask them to hold the scene and for permission to retain an expert at the client's expense. Note the call in the file.
On every claim, ask the client whether they want an origin and cause investigator to review the scene, or confirm one is already assigned. Note their answer in the file so the decision is on record.
Make sure no evidence is touched or moved until the expert has secured the scene
Get the client's approval for the scene exam cost. Most run at least $1,600 with travel, the day rate, and expenses.
Identify the animal, its owner, and who was caring for it at the time
For bites: get the animal control report and any prior bite history
For fires: find out what was on the stove and who left it there

Hands off until the expert arrives. Nothing at the scene gets touched, moved, repaired, or thrown out until the origin and cause investigator has secured it. Evidence that's moved early can sink the whole recovery.

Notify

Notify the owner or caretaker and their homeowners or renters carrier
For fires, retain an origin-and-cause expert and keep the stove for a joint exam

Investigate

Pull the lease or HOA pet rules, and any pet-sitting or boarding agreement
Get photos, statements, and medical or veterinary bills
Review the expert's report on the stove and the food

Demand, negotiate, and settle

Send the demand packet
Follow up, then send the second demand if needed
Review the release, pay the deductible, and close

1. Identify

Dog bites and attacks

Many states, including Kentucky, hold dog owners responsible for bites and damage even if the dog never bit before. Others use a "one bite" rule, where you must show the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Check the state.
A landlord may share responsibility if they knew a tenant's dog was dangerous and could have removed it.
A pet sitter, dog walker, or kennel is responsible while the dog is in their care.

Pet-started stove fires

Pets can bump or pull front-mounted stove knobs, especially when looking for food left on the stove.
Look for scratch or paw marks, where the knobs are, and whether there were knob covers or a lock.
Some stoves have recalls or complaints about knobs turning on too easily.

Is there anyone to recover from?

Situation	Recovery?
Your insured's pet, in your insured's home	Usually no. It's an accident. Check for a stove defect.
A tenant's pet started the fire	Yes. The tenant and their renters policy, and a lease breach if pets weren't allowed.
A pet sitter or house sitter left food on the stove	Yes. The sitter or the pet-sitting company.
A neighbor's dog bit your insured or damaged property	Yes. The neighbor's homeowners or renters liability coverage.
A dog walker or kennel's dog got loose	Yes. The business and its liability carrier.

Responsible parties to consider

The pet's owner and anyone caring for it
Tenants, and landlords who knew about a dangerous dog
Pet sitters, dog walkers, kennels, and groomers
The stove manufacturer, for knob or design defects

2. Notify and investigate

Evidence checklist

Animal control and police reports, and any prior complaints about the dog
Photos of injuries, damage, and the scene
Medical, veterinary, and repair bills
The lease, HOA pet rules, or pet-sitting agreement
For fires: the stove, its knobs, and what was on the burner, held for a joint exam
Mitigation records for fire and smoke damage

3. Demand, negotiate, and settle

Liability theories: statutory dog-bite liability or negligence for bites; negligence and breach of the lease or sitting agreement for fires; product defect for stoves.

Defenses to expect

Defense	How to answer it
The dog never bit anyone before	Many states don't require a prior bite. Check the state's dog-bite law.
The victim provoked the dog	Witness statements and the animal control report
A pet turning on a stove is a freak accident	Leaving food on the stove with a pet in the home is foreseeable. Check the lease and any sitter's instructions.

4. Letters for this loss

Step	Letter
Identify	Subrogation Opening Letter to Insured
Notify	Notice of Subrogation Interest and Insurance Request, to Adverse Carrier
Investigate	Evidence Preservation and Joint Scene Exam Notice
Demand	Subrogation Demand to Adverse Carrier
Negotiate	Second Demand with Escalation Notice
Settle	Release Review Checklist, Deductible Reimbursement

Related guides: Tenant and Landlord Losses, and Fire from Cooking, Smoking, and Candles.