After reviewing more than one million pet insurance claims received by Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. over the past year, 12 were worthy of nomination for the VPI Hambone Award honoring the “Most unusual claim of the year.”
Nominees include a dachshund-terrier mix that was found buried alive by firefighters, a potbellied pig that accidentally overdosed on human medication, and a cat that got stuck in a car engine and went on a wild 15-mile ride.
VPI will honor one of its more than 485,000 insured pets with the fourth annual VPI Hambone Award.
The winner will be determined by the public, who are encouraged to cast their vote at www.VPIHamboneAward.com. Voting is open from Sept. 12-25 and will decide which perilous pet will take home the esteemed honor.
Named originally after a dog that ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator, the VPI Hambone Award has since been presented for three equally unusual claims.
Past winners include Ellie, a Labrador retriever who gobbled up an entire beehive and its thousands of inhabitants; Lulu, a hungry bulldog who swallowed 15 baby pacifiers, a bottle cap and piece of a basketball; and Harley, a pug that ate and subsequently passed more than 100 rocks.
“Now in its fourth year, the VPI Hambone Award continues to remind us of how unpredictable our pets can be,” Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI, said in a statement. “While incidents like a cat falling out of an eleventh story window, or a Lab shattering a 55-gallon aquarium certainly aren’t everyday occurrences, they show that unusual accidents do happen and how important it is that pet owners are prepared for the unexpected.”
Following are brief summaries of the 12 unusual claims nominated for the 2012 Hambone Award. All nominated pets made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible treatment expenses.
July, 2011 – Ginger the golden retriever (Rocky Hill, Conn.). Sniffing turned snippy when a feisty snapping turtle chomped down on Ginger’s nose, causing quite a scare and lacerations to her muzzle.
August, 2011 – Havee the Havanese (Pompton Plains, N.J.). A cleaning spree resulted in a trip to the local animal hospital when Havee’s tail was run over by the vacuum after he fell asleep under the dining room table.
September, 2011 – Kei the shiba inu (Wadswoth, Ill.). An escalator excursion landed Kei in the animal hospital when one of his paws got caught on the escalator grates.
October, 2011 – Peanut the dachshund-terrier mix (Sicklerville, N.J.). A squabble with a skunk ended with more than just a bad stench in the air when Peanut was found buried alive by firefighters.
November, 2011 – Baxter the domestic longhair cat (Seattle, Wash.). This feline fell from the 11th Floor and lived to purr about it.
December, 2011 – Crispy Bacon the potbellied pig (Las Vegas, Nev.). Crispy’s owners always joke that their potbellied pig is their little “rock star,” but they never expected he would take it to the extreme until he accidentally overdosed on human medication.
January, 2012 – Tomis the cocker spaniel (Sacramento, Calif.). Tomis required surgery to remove an almond he accidentally snorted while snacking at a holiday party.
February, 2012 – Major the Labrador retriever (Minneapolis, Minn.). A game of fetch ended with a trip to the veterinarian when Major ran full-speed into a rock the same size and shape as his toy.
March, 2012 – Nathan the miniature dachshund (Pittsburgh, Penn.). An altercation with a vicious muskrat caused a severe bite wound dangerously close to Nathan’s jugular.
April, 2012 – Bayley the Labrador retriever (Lothian, Md.). While playing inside with his furry friends, Bayley shattered a 55-gallon aquarium that left a two-inch gash on his chest.
May, 2012 – Beretta the Labrador retriever (Bryan, Texas). Beretta had to be rushed to the emergency animal hospital after her owner found her hanging from a barbecue grill by her collar.
June, 2012 – Pebbles the domestic shorthair cat (Rio Linda, Calif.). After getting stuck in a car engine, Pebbles went on a 15-mile road trip before being taken to a veterinary hospital to treat lacerations and a broken jaw.
The VPI Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while waiting for someone to rescue him.
The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia. This quirky title was first awarded in 2009 to Lulu, a hungry English bulldog who swallowed 15 baby pacifiers, a bottle cap and a piece of a basketball.
Stories and pictures of the VPI Hambone Award nominees are available at VPIHamboneAward.com.
