Dog bite claim

I've had the same insurance company since I first started driving in 1965. I had renal insurance with the company while I was in the military 20 years also. My wife and I bought a house in Port Hueneme in 1989; who do you think we got our home insurance from?

Over the years, we have had some claims for water damage. Then, four months ago, our 7-pound miniature doberman nipped at the UPS driver's leg. I thought they were friends. We would be out front playing ball, and Max would here the truck. The driver would honk his horn, and Max would run down the sidewalk.

Now, I have received a letter from the insurance company notifying me it is canceling our home insurance in August. It said if we got rid of Max, we could get our coverage back. We only have 45 days to act.

My wife was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig Disease in 2004. She does not have very long to live and is getting worse every day. It is just killing her to have to give up Max. When I leave the house to run errands, I tell him to take care of Mommy. He goes down the hall and sits in front of her door or in the hospital bed with her.

We have a lot of nurses and caregivers coming and going in the house all of the time. Max will bark at them, but has not bitten any of them. Most of the time, after they have been there awhile, he will go get his tennis ball and want to play ball. I just hope I do not have to give up Max.

My insurance agent has pleaded our case all of the way to a supervisor in Bakersfield, no luck. Nobody came out to the house to see the dog or talk to us. The claim was about $145. If someone would have come to me, I would have paid it.

~ John Klopfstein,
Port Hueneme