CLEVELAND -- Local dog lovers are crying foul as the insurance industry clamps down on dog owners with pit bulls, rottweilers, and, in some cases, even German shepherds.

In fact, NewsChannel5 reported that if you own a pit bull and you're looking to get a new homeowner's insurance policy, you can forget about it.

Insurance agent Paula Howard said that dog bites now cost her industry $1 billion a year. That's why getting coverage if you own a possibly vicious dog is next to impossible. All State, State Farm and Farmers' Insurance are all refusing to grant policies to owners of pit bulls.

"Insurance companies are a private enterprise and giving coverage is a risk," Howard said. "We have to pick and choose our risks."

A growing number of mauling cases, like the death of Diane Whipple in San Francisco 1 ½ years ago, are to blame.

And it's left the Cleveland City Kennel and the Animal Protective League packed with pit bulls, many of them left and doomed for certain death.

"We have a lot more pit bulls being turned in by owners who simply can't afford the insurance," said Matt Granito, deputy director of the APL.

"Last year, we picked up 750 pits in the city of Cleveland," said John Baird, Cleveland's chief dog warden.

Baird said that what makes the situation even worse is that both the APL and the city kennel can't get anyone to adopt the pit bulls they take in. The dogs must all be eventually euthanized, because homeowners' insurance costs and liability for these dogs are just too high.

"Unfortunately, insurance companies are looking at that and are saying, 'Not even responsible pet owners can own these animals,'" Howard said.

The APL said that irresponsible dog owners are the major cause of the insurance dilemma.

There are specialty insurance companies that will write new homeowners' policies to those who own pit bulls, but coverage could cost you up to $1,000 a year.