For the vet bill you didn't plan on.

Which states follow the NAIC model

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners adopted the Pet Insurance Model Act at its Summer 2022 National Meeting. A model only applies where a state enacts it. NAIC's Summer 2026 state chart lists these states in its model adoption column:

• California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine and Maryland
• Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington
• New Jersey, with its law listed as effective January 1, 2027

Alaska (a 2016 bulletin), Idaho, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas and Utah appear under related activity rather than adoption. Every other state, and the District of Columbia, is marked "no current activity." The NAIC says its chart isn't a formal legal opinion and that adopting states may vary in style and format, so I check the state's own statute before relying on it.

One difference that matters to you is the free look. The model act gives 15 days to return a policy for a full premium refund if you haven't filed a claim. California's Insurance Code 12880.2 requires a free look of at least 30 days, with the policy void from the beginning and the refund due within 30 days of the insurer's notice. That right doesn't apply once the insurer has paid a claim or told you in writing it will. Both versions require a separate document titled "Insurer Disclosure of Important Policy Provisions," delivered in at least 12-point type with a new policy. Read that summary first: it covers the exclusions, waiting periods, limits and whether claims, your pet's age or a move can change your coverage or premium.

Dog bites land on your home or renters policy

Pet insurance is about your pet's care. California defines it as coverage for accidents and illnesses of pets, and other veterinary expenses (Insurance Code 12880). An injury your dog causes to someone else is a liability claim, which is what the liability section of a homeowners or renters policy is designed to handle. In California, the owner's exposure is broad.

Civil Code 3342 makes a dog's owner liable when the dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner's own property. Liability applies "regardless of the former viciousness of the dog" or what the owner knew. People are there lawfully if they're invited, or if they're doing a duty under state or federal law or postal regulations. That includes your guests and your mail carrier.

Whether a home insurer can turn you down over your dog's breed varies by state. For example:

• New York Insurance Law 3421 bars refusing, canceling, raising the rate or limiting homeowners coverage based solely on a dog's breed. Insurers can still act on a dog legally designated dangerous.
• Minnesota Statutes 65A.303 bars refusing, canceling or not renewing a homeowners policy based solely on owning one dog of a specific breed. There are exceptions for dangerous or potentially dangerous dogs, sound underwriting, and a history of the dog causing bodily injury.

On your homeowners or renters application, give me the breed and any bite history up front, so the application matches the facts if a claim ever comes in. If the dog's exposure worries you, an umbrella policy is designed to sit above the liability on your home or renters policy.