Man’s best friend is sinking its teeth into homeowners insurance costs. Dog bites account for one-third of all homeowners insurance liability claims in the United States, costing $387.2 million in 2008, up 8.7 percent from 2007.

An analysis of homeowners insurance data by the Insurance Information Institute found that the average cost of dog bite claims was $24,461 in 2008 (the most recent figures available) down slightly from $24,511 in 2007. Since 2003, however, the cost of these claims has risen nearly 28 percent.

Additionally, the number of claims has increased 8.89 percent to 15,823 in 2008 compared to 2007.