A dog from Goleta is a finalist in a competition called the "Hambone Award."
Nationwide Insurance, which offers pet insurance, created the Hambone Award to recognize the most unusual pet insurance claims. It was originally named after a dog who ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator.
Among this year's finalists for the award is Max, a Shih Tzu who got into a fight with a coyote in his Goleta backyard.
The other finalists are:
- Chopper, a boxer from Burke, Virginia, who broke through a glass window while home alone in order to greet a visitor who was standing outside
- Olive, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from San Diego, who ran up a tree after a squirrel and fell 12 feet to the ground
- Penny, a tabby cat from La Jolla, who fell from a two-story balcony
- Pistol, an Australian Cattle Dog from Los Angeles, who was injured in a mouth-to-mouth collision with another dog at the park
Nationwide says Max and all of the other finalists have made full recoveries.
The winner of the competition will receive a trophy and other gifts from Nationwide and all five veterinary practices that treated the pets will receive a portion of a $30,000 award from Nationwide and the Veterinary Care Foundation.
Nationwide says it selected this year's finalists after a review of more than two million claims filed in 2019.
To learn more about the finalists and place your vote, visit www.HamboneAward.com. Voting is open from November 14-18, 2020.
