# How much does a puppy cost you on home owner insurance?



## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

Going to call my agent and tell them I am getting a puppy. (or, do I need to? )
Do I expect any increase of home owner insurance?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Some insurance companies have a breed restriction list and they won't cover you if you have a breed on that list. GSDs are on that list.


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

llombardo said:


> Some insurance companies have a breed restriction list and they won't cover you if you have a breed on that list. GSDs are on that list.


That's too bad. Whats the worst consequence if I don't mention I have a GSD at home?


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

If you don't tell them and something happens and they find out, they will cancel you. 

What company do you use?


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

gsdsar said:


> If you don't tell them and something happens and they find out, they will cancel you.
> 
> What company do you use?


It through my All State agent, but the company name is Universal Insurance North America 
Universal Insurance Holdings of North America
I just searched the web, did not see anything about breed restriction


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Call them and ask. I think State Farm allows them. I know USAA does( it's who I have).


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

superpanjy said:


> It through my All State agent, but the company name is Universal Insurance North America
> Universal Insurance Holdings of North America
> I just searched the web, did not see anything about breed restriction


All State has a list where I am located. They ask of you have dogs and then the breeds. Only when I pushed the issue did they tell me about the list. State Farm doesn't have a list nor do they ask if you even own a dog. All States list was ridiculous. They had labs and St Bernards on there.


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## Nikitta (Nov 10, 2011)

Actually, when I had State Farm, they not only didn't restrict them but you could get coverage FOR them. My agent was even suprised by that. I think it is limited coverage; like if they got run over or something. The only reason I switched from SF was they wouldn't cover my over 100 year old house.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

superpanjy said:


> That's too bad. Whats the worst consequence if I don't mention I have a GSD at home?


The worst case? Here it is:

Imagine your house burns down, or a visitor trips and falls sustaining a major injury requiring multiple surgeries and weeks off work for which you are liable...the insurance adjustor visits and learns you have a dog on a banned breed list that you never disclosed. Even though it's unrelated to the claim, you then get a letter in the mail declining to pay your claim and announcing that your failure to disclose the dog counts as "fraud" in the application for your last renewal in your state, so they are rescinding the policy, refunding the premiums you paid for this year, and leaving you totally uninsured for the loss. Then all you can do is get a lawyer and litigate the insurance coverage. Whether they can get away with it depends entirely on state law, but don't think for a second that some insurance companies won't try to rescind a policy over something unrelated if there's a big, catastrophic claim. 

Your insurance contract likely obligates you to tell them. If your company has a banned breed list including GSDs, change companies. Dog owners should vote with their pocketbooks and dump companies that use breed bans. Liberty Mutual has been great with our rescue's adopters. If you have any military connection (including a dad or grand dad who fought in WWII, Korea or Vietnam...), you might have access to USAA insurance.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Our insurance company required us to prove we are taking precautions with our dogs, such as fencing, kennels, hot wire etc.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Our insurance company doesn't care. You don't have to tell them when you get a dog. 

In fact I've never heard of such a thing.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

I called my insurance company before the pup came home, just to be sure. They do have a list of breeds that will cause them to drop your coverage, but the GSD isn't on it. Any pit or pit type mix is out, as are Akitas, wolf hybrids, Chows, or Rottweilers.

State Farm has a "deed not the breed" policy. I probably should care more about supporting that, but I don't; I didn't want the pain in the neck of switching companies and the GSD isn't forbidden by our current company, so we just went with it.

Edit: And no, she doesn't cost us anything extra.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

Is this a U.S thing? I've never been asked and when I called to ask them (today), she asked why after 25 yrs was I asking them. Lol


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I have Erie - no problem UNLESS the dog bites and they pay a claim...I have always gotten CGCs on all my dogs....I think it is Nationwide that gives you a 'pass' if you have a CGC

Lee


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

What state do you live in? In certain states, like PA, it's illegal for an insurance company to discriminate against you for breed. "Breed lists" are not allowed.


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## robrymond (Sep 7, 2014)

I think this is a US only thing. Although in the UK we get asked if we 'own pets' sometimes, most insurers do not cover damage caused by pets anyway, so the question is kind of redundant.

I think it is harsh if they penelise you for owning a certain dog!


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

But aren't certain breeds banned all together in other countries? No need for a list if Pit Bulls are banned and illegal. Same with other breeds.


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

Jax08 said:


> What state do you live in? In certain states, like PA, it's illegal for an insurance company to discriminate against you for breed. "Breed lists" are not allowed.


I am at expensive CA.  
call my insurance company to inquire if there is a restriction list. the answer is YES. If I have a GSD and did not mention to the insurance co, basically, my policy will be cancelled.


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## robrymond (Sep 7, 2014)

gsdsar said:


> But aren't certain breeds banned all together in other countries? No need for a list if Pit Bulls are banned and illegal. Same with other breeds.


Yeah Pit Bulls and a few other breeds are banned in the UK, but you would neve r declare on your insurance your breed of dog anyway.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

superpanjy said:


> I am at expensive CA.
> call my insurance company to inquire if there is a restriction list. the answer is YES. If I have a GSD and did not mention to the insurance co, basically, my policy will be cancelled.


Knowing this gives you time to shop with different companies -- you've gotten leads on several to check to price-compare. Good luck!!!


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

wolfstraum said:


> I have Erie - no problem UNLESS the dog bites and they pay a claim...I have always gotten CGCs on all my dogs....I think it is Nationwide that gives you a 'pass' if you have a CGC
> 
> Lee


In Virginia, Nationwide will NOT cover a GSD. They have a breed restriction list and won't write a policy if you have any dog on the list. If you get a restricted breed after the fact and they find out, they will cancel the policy. I asked recently.


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

I wonder if exceptions are made for service dogs under the ADA?


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

Persinette said:


> I wonder if exceptions are made for service dogs under the ADA?



Yes. I am a beneficiary of it.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Saphire said:


> Is this a U.S thing? I've never been asked and when I called to ask them (today), she asked why after 25 yrs was I asking them. Lol


It is weird and only in parts of the US. In Arizona I'd never even heard of it. When we moved to Nevada I learned that there was restrictive lists for some renters insurance companies (we don't rent we own) 

I never told my insurance company I had dogs, never even thought of it. After I found out about the lists I called my home owners insurance company and basically got the same answer you did. 

Nevada recently banned breed restrictions for the entire state so I imagine those restrictive lists are now illegal here.


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## Persinette (Jan 31, 2015)

Cheyanna said:


> Yes. I am a beneficiary of it.


Good to know, thank you for responding  I suspected as much. I remember seeing a documentary about 'pit bull' bans in San Franscisco, but a veteran was able to keep his 'pit' (really a Staffy cross of some sort I believe) as it was a service dog. I wasn't sure if this as the norm or an exception case. Not a fan of BSL. Not at all.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Every state and every insurance company is different. My homeowners policy covers no dogs at all. I have to have separate liability if I want it covered. It is really hard to get coverage here because of the location so adding a GSD or two doesn't help and the fact that I own a duplex as well. So I ended up getting my homeowners policy from Lloyd's of London and my dog still isn't covered on it. Not to mention having to buy windstorm and flood insurance separately. Dogs are not covered items on those either. S. Florida is the worst when it comes to finding good insurance.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

State Farm has a lot of restrictions on the actual property but not on dogs. For example we used to live in an old home with a vented gas wall furnace. Nope. Had to be central heat. Live in FL? Forget it. They got out of Florida. 

Travelers took GSDs no problem but they want EVERYTHING to be on Travelers (typically you do anyway for multiline discount but my husband sells to auto body shop and SF seems to have the best rep for cars)


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

jocoyn said:


> State Farm has a lot of restrictions on the actual property but not on dogs. For example we used to live in an old home with a vented gas wall furnace. Nope. Had to be central heat. Live in FL? Forget it. They got out of Florida.
> )


That must be a state by state thing. I've got a old home with propane wall furnaces. They didn't say anything at all about not having central heat.


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## zudnic (May 23, 2015)

I have a place in WA, the only one who would cover Rottweiler's was state farm. People on the Rottweiler forum I'm on, have insurance problems all the time. SF is the most common answer for insurance.


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## ZiggytheSheprador (May 6, 2015)

Here's a list of dogs for Liberty Mutual in California that will cause your policy to non-renew if you have a child under 12. 
•	Akita 
•	Alaskan Malamute* 
•	Alaskan Malamute 
•	Chow 
•	Doberman Pinscher 
•	German Shepherd 
•	Pit Bull Terrier (also known as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier) 
•	Rottweiler 
•	Siberian Husky* 
•	Siberian Husky 
•	Wolf &/or Wolf Hybrid 
•	Presa Canario (including Dogo Canario, Canary Dog, Perro Bastro, Verdino) 
•	Any cross/mix with these breeds.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Interesting -- Liberty Mutual doesn't have GSDs on the list in Louisiana, according to what adopters have been telling me. Or maybe didn't as of a year ago...


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

My insurance agent told me that 2 out of 7 insurance company may accept GSD but 0 liability on any kind of dog damage. And I have to provide detail dog training plan. Sounds ridiculous. 
Tried to get a quote from Costco insurance, one on the questions is: is your dog pure breed of one of the following breed xxx, xxxx.... But GSD WAS NOT LISTED THERE. 
However, the policy price is almost double what I have right now..

Maybe I should just zip my mouth and don't tell anyone.


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## Girl_Loves_Hydraulics (Apr 13, 2014)

I have Farmer's Insurance. They go by bite history, not breed.

I am about to switch to StateFarm. They just asked me the breed and if my dogs had bit anyone which the answer is no. They are coming out to take a few photos and that's that. So maybe I've been lucky but never had issues with getting home insurance coverage.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

superpanjy said:


> Maybe I should just zip my mouth and don't tell anyone.


Well...you've created an internet record of your awareness of the underwriting condition here in this thread. Having made that record, if you don't tell anyone, wouldn't you be intentionally deceiving the insurance company during underwriting to hide a known risk? How do you think that's going to go for you if you have a major claim?


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

I like the idea of picking insurance companies that don't have breed restrictions


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

The insurance company will start the extensive searches on all doggy forums and connecting funny usernames with their policy holders.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

holland said:


> I like the idea of picking insurance companies that don't have breed restrictions



I picked my insurance company based on cost, service and "don't ask don't tell" policy ?


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

I was an insurance agent for many years. If you lie or intentionally omit information on the application they can deny any claim you have and cancel your policy as well with no refunds. It is not a good idea to lie to insurance companies, it is considered fraud. You may be lucky enough to get one claim covered from some companies but I can guarantee you that your policy will be cancelled right after that. And insurance companies share information so if you commit fraud with one, the others will know about it. The best thing to do is buy a separate dog liability policy if you want to be sure you are covered. Your homeowner's policy may even give you a credit for having that. Laws are different in every state and each company may or may not write coverage in any state they can find a reason to exclude. Honesty is the best policy although I found that most insurance companies are not honest, they expect you to be.


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

Magwart said:


> Well...you've created an internet record of your awareness of the underwriting condition here in this thread. Having made that record, if you don't tell anyone, wouldn't you be intentionally deceiving the insurance company during underwriting to hide a known risk? How do you think that's going to go for you if you have a major claim?


I absolutely know it's wrong way to do it. I was trying to be honest to insurance company, but most of them are not GSD friendly. 
Give up my puppy? NO
Give up my house? No No no. 

I have no idea what to do. I just want to secure everything.


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

pyratemom said:


> I was an insurance agent for many years. If you lie or intentionally omit information on the application they can deny any claim you have and cancel your policy as well with no refunds. It is not a good idea to lie to insurance companies, it is considered fraud. You may be lucky enough to get one claim covered from some companies but I can guarantee you that your policy will be cancelled right after that. And insurance companies share information so if you commit fraud with one, the others will know about it. The best thing to do is buy a separate dog liability policy if you want to be sure you are covered. Your homeowner's policy may even give you a credit for having that. Laws are different in every state and each company may or may not write coverage in any state they can find a reason to exclude. Honesty is the best policy although I found that most insurance companies are not honest, they expect you to be.


Thank you very much. I don't even know I can buy separate dog liability policy. I will look into this and report back. Thank you


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## GSDKIMBER (Jan 9, 2015)

I just got off the phone with State Farm. They have no restrictions. Bye bye Allstate


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

I tried State Farm yesterday. They won't insure an older house because of galvanized pipes. Does anyone know of an insurance company that will insure an older house with no GSD restriction? I'm in Idaho. Thanks!


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

pyratemom said:


> I was an insurance agent for many years. If you lie or intentionally omit information on the application they can deny any claim you have and cancel your policy as well with no refunds. It is not a good idea to lie to insurance companies, it is considered fraud. You may be lucky enough to get one claim covered from some companies but I can guarantee you that your policy will be cancelled right after that. And insurance companies share information so if you commit fraud with one, the others will know about it. The best thing to do is buy a separate dog liability policy if you want to be sure you are covered. Your homeowner's policy may even give you a credit for having that. Laws are different in every state and each company may or may not write coverage in any state they can find a reason to exclude. Honesty is the best policy although I found that most insurance companies are not honest, they expect you to be.


This op question and the answers sent me into a panic. I got my GSD after I acquired my HO policy. I didn't know Metlife had a breed restriction until reading this post. Are you saying that if my house burns down and they find out I have a GSD they will not pay? Or, if they don't allow GSD's can I keep them as my insurer if I provide outside coverage for my GSD? Or, will they simply not cover anyone who owns a GSD regardless?


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

gsdsar said:


> I know USAA does( it's who I have).


We have USAA as well. Before we bought our house, we openly asked about breed restrictions. No issues.

If you, or a member of your family, are active or retired military, see if you are eligible for USAA. Good company.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

WIBackpacker said:


> If you, or a member of your family, are active or retired military, see if you are eligible for USAA. Good company.


Think carefully about service by parents and grandparents -- a father or grandfather drafted to serve in WWII, Korea, or Vietnam for example. They recently expanded coverage to include those vets. Once that veteran joins, they can now add their adult children to the USAA family.

The company is outstanding in every possible way -- always one of the two highest rated insurers by Consumer Reports (along with Amica), good rates, not-for-profit mutual company operating for the benefit of members. Great banking services too. I love, love, love USAA. 

Years ago, we had them in California with home built in the 1920s with some old knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized pipes, and GSDs. It was a challenge finding a company that would insure with all of those conditions!


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Magwart said:


> The company is outstanding in every possible way -- always one of the two highest rated insurers by Consumer Reports (along with Amica), good rates, not-for-profit mutual company operating for the benefit of members. Great banking services too. I love, love, love USAA.
> 
> Years ago, we had them in California with home built in the 1920s with some old knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized pipes, and GSDs. It was a challenge finding a company that would insure with all of those conditions!


^ Yes. We love USAA. 100-year old fishing cottage, wood burning stove, no HVAC, and GSD's. They took us, too. Definitely see if you are eligible.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

Travelers don't have issues with GSDs unless it's recently changed


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

My insurance agent only wants to know about a dog if it has a bite history.
Insurance coverage with my dog = 0 more.


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

My insurance company has a list of breeds, but GSDs aren't on it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that. We didn't have Ruger when we got the policy, but knew we were getting a GSD soon after moving into the new house.

My friend has to have her Rottweiler insured through State Farm with a $500,000 policy separately from her homeowners insurance. I forget which company she has for that though.


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Ruger Monster said:


> My insurance company has a list of breeds, but GSDs aren't on it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that. We didn't have Ruger when we got the policy, but knew we were getting a GSD soon after moving into the new house.
> 
> My friend has to have her Rottweiler insured through State Farm with a $500,000 policy separately from her homeowners insurance. I forget which company she has for that though.


What is the name of the insurance company if they are nationwide? I'm in a bad spot here. Thank you


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

WIBackpacker said:


> We have USAA as well. Before we bought our house, we openly asked about breed restrictions. No issues.
> 
> If you, or a member of your family, are active or retired military, see if you are eligible for USAA. Good company.


I've had USAA forever. No problems whatsoever. 
My father is a retired Army colonel, so I was eligible, and because of me, my son has USAA too.


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## Sharocks (Mar 6, 2015)

We have State Farm and they said either put up a sign or no liability coverage.


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

No additional for a GSD.....West Bend Mutual.


SuperPimpForWestBendMutualG


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## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

SuperG said:


> No additional for a GSD.....West Bend Mutual.
> 
> 
> SuperPimpForWestBendMutualG


No coverage in Idaho


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> What is the name of the insurance company if they are nationwide? I'm in a bad spot here. Thank you


We went through Palmetto Insurance, but they are a "broker" of sorts for South Carolina. They were recommended to us by a friend who also uses them. They were half the price of State Farm, for the same coverage limits on our homeowners insurance. 

I will look at the physical policy when I get home to get the exact insurance company name and see if they offer coverage anywhere else. I want to say it was called UHC, but that's my healthcare coverage through work


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## superpanjy (May 8, 2015)

I ended up with travelers. They do have breed restriction, but GSD is not on the list.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

superpanjy said:


> I ended up with travelers. They do have breed restriction, but GSD is not on the list.


So what happens if they add GSD's to the list? Do they ask what breed you have?


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## Jessiewessie99 (Mar 6, 2009)

M family's insurance will not cover us if we have a Rottweiler, Doberman, or Pitbull. We asked them about German Shepherds when we first got Molly, and they said we were okay. And we live in LA County.

I would always ask about breed restrictions.


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