BRIEF: Car Insurance Firms Lure Animal Fans With Coverage

Apr. 25--In the competition for your auto insurance bucks, some Michigan companies are, literally, going to the dogs.

And cats.

Four of the biggest insurers in the state have added -- at no extra cost to customers' premiums -- coverage for pets injured or killed in car accidents. This is different than traditional separate pet insurance policies, which often cost more than $30 a month.

So if Shadow or Rocky slams into the dashboard in a quick stop, the companies provide from $500 to $1,000 of coverage to treat or replace the pet.

With 7.2 million licensed Michigan drivers and more than 100 companies that write car insurance, "It's very competitive," said Lori Conarton of the Insurance Institute of Michigan. "If other companies find that policyholders want this type of coverage, they're going to want to start offering it, too."

--SOME DRIVERS SWITCH: Auto insurance for pets a draw

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