What to do when a guest shows up with an ESA dog that's on my insurance breed restrictions?

[Gaylin2]

When a guest brings a doberman/wolf hybrid/rotty, and claims it's a service animal, but your insurance specifically restricts such breeds, what do you do?

[Bes175]

What to do when a guest shows up with and ESA dog...? For insurance advice lets wait for experts, however on General Rules Airbnb is clear: YOU CAN'T TEACH THEM NEW TRICKS.

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I think we are all missing the point here, and I do believe someone else is writing on their behalf [ @ Mods, with respect - I'm not calling them WILD but this family is a bit different from the rest of us] Dobermans/ rottweilers etc to the average Airbnb softie count as Fierce dogs - to Them are ranked between a bad boy rabbit and a moaning puddle.

Emile, 

INSURANCE is to protect the dogs,

cover them, not against them. 

Here is what they do:

* Kids are escorted to school by Grizzly Bears

* Dad dances with WOLVES

* Mum cooks for mountain LIONS

can't bring other pictures; as graphic as to give a H. Attack to  average guy in Paris or Madrid, but the guide cover should give you an idea what is going on at their table...

 

ESA in their language is not the same as ours; their Guests can be vulnerable bank robbers, v. depressed mafia guys or a Saudi Prince regretting few things;  pets they have [jaguars, tigers etc] belong to same family as my house Cat, but are they the same?

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Now @ Gaynor & his KLAN,

99% of airbnb and what we see here [good, bad and atrocious] fulfil  same concept; bed + roof + closed door; what you offer is another WAY OF LIFE, this is only place I seen 'till now, that I WANTED TO BE THERE!

No wonder people write reviews like THAT

all are happy to go & sad to leave.

WELL DONE! 

[Helen3]

1. You have said in your title ESA but in your post service animal which is it they are claiming? @Gaylin2 

2. have you read Airbnbs policy on service animals? If a service animal ask what tasks it helps guests with and remind them as a service animal it needs to be with them at all times and can't be left in the listing by itself 

[Gaylin2]

Both.  Personally, I myself have not had this issue come up yet, but I was reading my renewed insurance policy and saw the dog info and started thinking. 

I allow up to 2 smaller dogs and occasionally allow larger ones, with increased fee.  I co-host a friend's cabin who does the same. She just had a gal book, and after booking, I asked, as usual, will any pets be joining you (cuz NO ONE ever claims the pet at booking)  She told me yes, her dog was coming for a quick weekend get away. So I asked what breed and she says Dobie. Of course, I tell her due to insurance, we can't accept the breed. So then she sends 5 messages, in rapid fire; the first saying it's her service dog. Then saying it's her fiancés service dog. Then says her mom made the reservation (???), then says the dog is her HUSBAND'S ESA dog, but then claimed it's a true service dog for seizures.... and suddenly this is their big honeymoon...just got weirder and weirder.  I hadn't really said anything (wasn't able to with her firing off so fast) when she suddenly said FINE, the dog won't be coming. So I'm assuming it's NOT any type of service/ESA dog if you can travel to high altitudes for 3 nights w/o said dog... but you know what they say about making assumptions...)

But it got me to wondering about breeds and all that. And now here we are! 

[Lorna170]

@Gaylin2  IMO, your insurance trumps an ESA.  An ESA is NOT a service animal that would have to be accommodated.  AirBnB is ridiculous in their interpretation of what a REAL service animal is.   

You do need to make it clear in your listing that you have breed related insurance restrictions.  Unfortunately, most OTAs do not offer a checkbox for this (usually just size) so you will have to put it in your rules or have it in your response to a guest proposing to bring an animal.  I have limited the size of the dogs that I will accept, which usually leads to a discussion with the guest wanting to bring a larger animal (a lovely wolfhound for example) and then I can decide what I want to do.  

[Gwen386]

@Gaylin2 First, is the animal an emotional support animal (ESA) or a service animal? These are two different things, and as such, I believe this is an ESA because servive dogs are usually docile dogs, like labradors or golden retrievers. 

If it were me, I would not have allowed the guest on my property due to the insurance policy breed restrictions. You should have been given advanced notice of an ESA so you could have provided accurate info to the guest regarding your homeowner’s policy. 

[Gaylin2]

See my reply to Helen3...   I got a crazy gal who changed her story so much, I couldn't tell you WHAT the dog was really. But I'm assuming she fed me a load of crock. Of course, I'm not able to ask her too much, but I did ask her what service or task the animal is trained to do, and was told to mind my own biz. Sigh.

[Emiel1]

@Gaylin2 

What kind of insurance is restricting such breeds ?

[Gwen386]

@Emiel1 

All homeowners and home associations insurance policies in the U.S.  

And, if the restricted breed attacks, or god-forbid kills, a person or other animal, the harmed person can personally sue the homeowner or association; and the homeowner’s insurance policy will not cover the injured party, and the insurance company can and will cancel the policy.