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The Most Unusual Pet Insurance Claims of The Year

Updated: Oct 26

American insurance company Nationwide has announced the finalists for this year's Hambone Award, which celebrates the most unusual pet insurance claims of the year.


Mischievous looking dog with a postcard in its mouth

The Hambone Award, named in honour of a dog who ate an entire holiday ham while stuck in a refrigerator, aims "to shed light on the everyday and sometimes bizarre incidents that can befall our beloved pets."


This year's finalists include Archie, a New Jersey dog who injured his paws when he broke through a vintage plate glass door while trying to alert his family of the mail carrier's arrival; and Bear, a Pennsylvania corgi who bit into a bottle of nail adhesive and effectively glued his mouth shut.


A New Jersey parrot named Clover also made the list after a growth spurt caused toenails on her feet to hook together.


A Florida dog named Irma suffered from gastrointestinal issues that turned out to have been the result of eating metal wire pieces believed to be from a barbecue brush, and a Virginia dog named Gordon swallowed two large rocks from her owner's garden.


Rounding out the finalists are Lambeau, a North Carolina dog who ate more than 250 jigsaw puzzle pieces, and Luca the Shiloh shepherd for completely destroying a kitchen cabinet.


The good news is that all of the pets nominated for the award have made full recoveries - and the winner (as voted for by the public) was - drum roll please - Luca, the Massachusetts dog who successfully dismantled a kitchen cabinet.

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