Nationwide annual 2017 Hambone Award voting underwaySeptember 21, 2017After reviewing nearly 1.5 million pet insurance claims received over the past year, Nationwide has nominated 12 candidates for the 2017 Hambone Award. Each year, the pet health insurer combs its database of more than 600,000 insured pets to honor the most "Unusual Pet Insurance Claim of the Year." The winner will be decided after a public voting period of Sept. 21 – Oct. 4. Originally named after a dog who ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator, the annual Hambone Award has since been given to the most bizarre medical claim each year since 2009. In addition, the veterinary practice that treated this year's Hambone Award winner will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment. From the dog who was impaled by a tree branch to the cat who fell down an abandoned well, each of the 12 nominees have uniquely harrowing tales. All nominated pets have made full recoveries and received Nationwide insurance reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses. Below are brief summaries of the 12 unusual claims nominated for the 2017 Hambone Award. For a more detailed account of each story, photos of the …
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