About the Hambone Award

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 unique 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.

Who was the first Hambone Award winner?

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.

How it works

Each year, Nationwide associates select claims to nominate for the Hambone Award—then, it’s up to America to vote for the winner.

You can vote once a day in support of your favorite Hambone story. Once the votes are tallied, the winning pet receives the coveted bronze Hambone trophy plus prizes for being a good boy or girl.

All nominees considered for the award have made full recoveries and their owners received insurance reimbursement for eligible expenses.