Fall 2022

Meet our Hambone Award nominees!

One small dog, an incredible “tail” of bravery

Every year, Nationwide® receives millions of pet insurance claims for everything from the mundane to the truly unusual.

Nationwide created the Hambone Award® to honor the strangest, most hair-raising pet insurance claim of the year. Each story we highlight is meant to exemplify the strength of our pets and their pet parents, and to spotlight the amazing skills of their trusted veterinarians.

It’s also a way to highlight all the things that can happen—and have happened—and the importance of being prepared. This year, our team searched through more than 3 million claims to find our nominees.

Why is it called the “Hambone” Award?

The Hambone Award is named in honor of a Nationwide-insured dog who got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire holiday ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia.

Since then, we’ve awarded the grand prize to twelve pets, including a canyon-diving German shepherd, a rock-pooping pug and many others.

How to vote

Voting for the Hambone Award winner is open to the public and takes place October 4-17. You can cast one vote per day for your favorite nominee until voting closes. Winner to be announced on October 19th.

Meet this year’s Hambone Award nominees

Casper: Tumbled in the dryer



Russell: Broke teeth on the stairs

 

Nines: Stuck in a bracelet

 

Rafa: Trapped in a water drain

  • Rocket: Ate an entire tennis ball
  • Rue: Treat stuck up nose
  • Shadow: Battled a raccoon
  • Dublin: Stung by a man o' war
  • Rex: Wishbone stuck in throat
  • Orangina: Covered in foam insulation
  • Ellie: Tail caught in door
  • Maeve: Toy stuck around jaw

 

All nominated pets have recovered and received reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses from Nationwide® pet insurance.

 

Follow us on social @NationwidePet to learn more about the nominees. Then go to HamboneAward.com to vote for your favorite!

Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet
Add-a-pet

Take advantage of your multi-pet discount when you add a pet to your policy. When covering two or three pets, you can receive a 5% discount. When covering four or more pets, you'll save 10% on your base premium. Visit the member portal to add a pet. 

Enroll a new pet

Check out some of our other posts!

After hour experts on summer bummers

Summer’s here at last! From beach time to summer hikes, there’s a lot to do outdoors—and ...

Frozen summer treats for pets

Few things are as tail-wagging wonderful as a frozen treat on a hot summer day. These ...

How pets help improve our physical health

The pet-owner relationship is a unique bond that provides not only care and affection for ...

Does your dog need sunscreen?

Dogs can and do get sunburns, and some are more vulnerable to sun damage than others. But ...