1 In 5 Homeowners Recruit Canine Assistance To Deter Intruders

• Research undertaken by AA Home Insurance has found that almost a fifth of Irish homeowners have purchased or rescued a dog to make their homes more 
• Less than half of homeowners have fitted a burglar alarm to their property; however, AA research finds that over 70% of those who have fitted an alarm feel more secure as a result.

Almost a fifth of Irish homeowners have added a canine companion to their family in order to deter potential intruders, recent research has found.

In response to an AA Home Insurance survey of over 4,000 property owners, 19.73% of respondents stated that they had either purchased or rescued a dog in order to improve their home security. Meanwhile, of those who had added a dog to their home, 26.28% reported feeling significantly more secure as a result, with a further 21.65% stating that they felt somewhat more secure.

“Adding a dog to your family certainly isn’t an option for everyone, but we do know that animals and the noise that they can create if disturbed can act as a major deterrent to potential intruders. While we commonly associate break-ins with the winter, darker months, unfortunately many thieves will be aware that people will be going on holiday over the coming months so it’s important that you make protecting your home a priority,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “The good news is that even if adding a dog isn’t an option for you, there are a number of methods to make your home more secure such as having a monitored alarm fitted or even joining a neighbourhood watch scheme.”

The AA’s research also found that less than half of Irish homeowners have had a burglar alarm fitted to their property.

45.30% of those surveyed stated that they had fitted an alarm to their home, with just 22.70% of respondents stating they had a monitored alarm in place. Despite being in the minority, those who had fitted an alarm to their property were likely to feel more secure as a result. 43.78% of homeowners with an alarm in place stated they now felt significantly more secure, with a further 34.03% admitting they felt somewhat more secure.

“There are some advantages to using a monitored alarm, but at the very least having some sort of alarm system in place will make your property more secure and act as a deterrent to potential burglars,” Faughnan added. “Meanwhile, if you’re are jetting off in the coming months on holiday it can be worthwhile to ask a trusted neighbour to keep an occasional eye on your home and even collect any letters or parcels left at your door to ensure you don’t come back to any nasty surprises.

Based on 4,526 responses to an AA Home Insurance survey undertaken in May 2018.

Fitted an alarm to my property       45.30%
Fitted a monitored alarm to my property     22.70%
Purchased or rescued a dog to act as a deterrent to potential intruders       19.73%
Installed new exterior door locks        25.67%
Joined a neighbourhood watch scheme      17.59%
Joined a community text alert system      16.73%