Nationwide Pet Insurance has officially shared the top finalists for its annual Hambone Awards. The Hambone Award, named after a dog who got stuck in the family refrigerator and ate an entire holiday ham before being discovered with mild hypothermia and a licked clean ham, honors an animal who filed a claim of insurance for a surprising problem or unique scenario.
“Each year, we are able to highlight nominees who have achieved remarkable recoveries thanks to the diligence of pet parents and the incredible skills of their treating veterinary care teams,” said Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS , AVP, vice president, pet store. health and chief veterinarian of Nationwide, in the organization’s press release.1 “Pets may still find themselves in unusual or unexpected situations, but the peace of mind that nationwide protection provides allows pet families and veterinary care teams to focus on this. who counts. »
The 10 finalists for the Hambone Award 2023 are1:
- Aurora, a goldendoodle from Belmont, New Hampshire, had her paw stuck in a snow-covered storm drain grate and, as she furiously tried to extract her paw, she broke her leg. She required emergency surgery to repair the broken bone on top of her head and has since made a full recovery.
- Belle, a Jindo from Atlanta, Georgia, encountered a large deer that entered her family’s backyard. Fortunately, the fight with the deer only left Belle with soft tissue damage and a few scratches.
- Bernie, a mixed breed dog from Rescue, California, was run over by an ATV while running on Christmas Eve. Although his injuries were not life-threatening, Bernie required significant treatment and recovery in order to return to normal.
- Giles, a cat from New York, got stuck on the family’s sofa bed after out-of-town visitors accidentally closed the sofa with Gilles underneath. Giles suffered no lasting effects from the incident, except for a new fear of articulated objects.
- Grayson Haze, a Labrador retriever from College Station, Texas, jumped from a 36-foot-high bridge and landed on a concrete embankment. Grayson Haze miraculously did not need surgery and his internal injuries healed after 2 months of rest.
- Jax, a pug from Las Vegas, Nevada, was recovering from surgery at home in a comforter, but he became dangerously overheated and suffered heat stroke. After cooling treatments administered by his veterinary team, his temperament and temperature returned to normal.
- Josie, a mixed breed puppy from Alameda, California, suffered a broken jaw and lost 4 teeth while chasing a ball during a game of fetch. The theory is that Josie suffered these injuries after colliding with a cast iron stadium seat that are souvenirs from Candlestick Park.
- Miko, a cat from New Orleans, Louisiana, leapt 7 feet into the air from her catio after a pair of doves started a nest too close for her comfort. Home security footage showed Milko was bitten near the eye during the mid-flight encounter with one of the doves. Except for a slight cut, Miko was not seriously injured.
- Rolex, a green-cheeked conure from Milton, Massachusetts, was at another home visiting family when the owner, who had not seen him perched on an open door, accidentally closed the door, slamming Rolex in the door. Her injuries were serious, but Rolex was treated and recovered.
- Sunny, a Labrador retriever from Anaheim, Calif., wedged his five-foot cage across a room to get closer to an electrical outlet. He then managed to snag and ingest 3 phone charger cords. Sunny had an emergency procedure performed to remove the items and made a full recovery.
Last year’s Hambone Award winner was Rafa, a Siberian mix, who escaped from his outdoor adventure at home and ended up falling into a 45-foot-deep drain pipe.2 His family located him after hearing his meows coming from the sewer grate and immediately called for help. Rafa was successfully extracted with the help of firefighters, animal rescue, utilities, Roto-rooter and serval neighbors who planned, dug and cut pipes. Rafa spent a week in intensive care for severe hypothermia and other complications, but made a full recovery.
All animals nominated for the Hambone Award have made a full recovery and received reimbursement for eligible expenses. Voting will remain open until September 22, 2023 and the winner will be announced on September 28, 2023. The chosen winner will receive the Hambone Award trophy, a gift card and a donation in their name to an approved pet charity . Second and third place will also receive a prize and a charitable donation opportunity.
To learn more about each finalist and vote, visit https://www.petinsurance.com/hamboneaward/.
Reference
- A charger-chewing dog and high-flying feline among finalists for Nationwide’s 15th annual Hambone Award. Press release. National Pet Insurance. September 13, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://news.nationwide.com/nationwides-15th-annual-hambone-award/
- Nationwide announces 2022 Hambone Award winner. dvm360. October 19, 2023. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://www.dvm360.com/view/nationwide-announces-2022-hambone-award-winner