Nationwide member Lori C.’s longtime companion, a German shepherd named Karma, was lonesome and in need of a new canine sidekick. Typically, Lori would know just where to look— she had deep connections in the shepherd rescue community, having fostered and adopted numerous pups. However, after years of raising high-energy shepherds, Lori wasn't quite sure she wanted to keep up with the demands of another one.
“Everyone has their breed, [and] shepherds have always been it for me,” she says. “But I'm older now, so I started looking at mixed breeds and dogs that just need homes.”
Lori started having conversations with people she knew in the wider foster community, filling out applications and combing through no small number of adoptable pet photos.
Then, scrolling through social media one day, she saw a litter of tiny shepherd pups. Lori’s plans changed in an instant.
“I saw his picture and his litter mates, and I fell in love,” she recalls. “We immediately drove out the next night to meet him.”
Upon meeting Luca face to face, their connection was too special to ignore.
“He was like one of the only ones that didn't wriggle when I held him—he just settled,” Lori remembers. “He was comfortable [with me]. Anyways, he was the one I ended up with.”
For Luca, this initial connection with Lori didn’t make separation from his siblings any easier at first. “He missed his buddies,” Lori remembers, “and he cried the whole way home.” However, when he arrived at his new fur-ever home, Karma was there with Lori’s daughter’s two pups—and Luca’s sadness quickly turned into excitement and joy.
“As soon as he saw the other dogs, he was totally fine,” Lori recalls. “He was like, ‘I get it. I'm part of the pack again. My siblings are great, but this is my home.’”
Luca settled in quickly—and proved to be just what Karma and the family needed. He fit perfectly in the role of the younger brother of the household: a little troublemaker with a sensitive soul who is always ready to play with his big sis.
Lori says, “When he tries to get [Karma] going, he's got this little toy in his mouth, and he tilts his head looking at her. Then, he gets all up in her face and he's pawing his little furry fuzzy face. And oh my gosh, he's just so cute.”
Shiloh shepherds are smart, sometimes mischievous dogs. They’re also very strong, as Lori discovered one day when she returned home to find that her kitchen cabinets had been, er, remodeled.
Lori needed to run a quick errand before a full afternoon of work meetings. Crate training was proving difficult for Luca, and he had been good around the house, so Lori decided to let him roam free with Karma while she was out. Not long after she left, an intrusive thought got the best of Luca and he set to work on his renovations.
When she returned, Lori was shocked by what she found.
“I looked up the stairs and I see my cabinet gone. He pulled the entire cabinet out, track and everything,” Lori says. Next to the destroyed cabinet was the trash barrel—his intended target inside the cabinet—with its contents now strewn across the floor. She continues, “The barrel and the front of the cabinet was flung over into my dining room. He basically dismantled my entire cabinet and attempted to eat everything in the barrel.”
Lori noticed bits of corn mixed in with the trash on the floor. Knowing corn cobs posed a major risk for gastrointestinal obstruction, she took him to the emergency vet right away. Unfortunately, Karma was also roaming free and could have eaten something—so she also had to come along as well.
While Lori spent a long afternoon taking calls from the veterinary hospital's waiting room, both pets were examined, treated and, ultimately, given clean bills of health. They returned home to recover, and Lori’s pet insurance coverage was there to help with the eligible veterinary bills (the replacement cabinet, however, was another story).
This surprising feat of doggy demolition earned Luca top honors at this year’s Hambone Awards, an annual campaign to choose the most unusual pet insurance claim. After a competitive race that saw several nominees jockeying for the lead, Luca brought home the coveted bronze Hambone trophy.
All nominees considered for the Hambone Award made full recoveries, and their owners received reimbursement for eligible pet healthcare expenses.
Visit petinsurance.com/hamboneaward to see all our Hambone Award nominee stories and photos (and much more!)
Reflecting on their experience, Lori says, “We are so grateful to everyone who took time out of your days to vote for us and helped share Luca's story. Luca is now a local celebrity!”
She continues, “To think that something like an insurance claim could be turned around to a positive made us feel super special.”
As the top dog at the end of voting, Luca received the bronze Hambone trophy, plus a gift card to Petco. Lori adds, “We will be taking a trip to Petco to choose whatever Luca wants. Woo hoo!”
Luca has since been crate trained to prevent any other surprise home renovations. However, if something unexpected happens again, Lori is ready with pet insurance just in case.
“Just having that peace of mind if an event happens, knowing that you're not on your own ... I knew I could stay calm during that situation because everything was going to be okay.”
Lori’s experiences in the foster world first introduced her to pet health insurance. She has supported many pups over the years, so she understands the importance of protecting them from the unexpected.
“I always suggest it because of course I have it and it has proven to be a lifesaver,” Lori says. “It's a thing nowadays. Everybody wants their dog covered … it gives you the freedom to be prepared for emergencies, if they come up, and just care for your pet.”