Every institution has its own way of recognizing feats of daring—Nobel Prizes, the Newbery Medal, even the coveted blue ribbon at a local pie contest. But only one award draws together animals whose biggest accomplishments may also double as “what were you thinking?” moments. The Hambone Award, given out by Nationwide Pet Insurance, is now in its seventeenth year of celebrating pets whose misadventures are, in a word, unforgettable.
Courage, Curiosity, and the Occasional Cicada Snack
The Hambone lineage traces back to a refrigerator incident involving a dog, a holiday ham, and a momentary lapse in kitchen security. Both UPI and Morningstar highlight the original canine honoree who, waiting to be discovered, devoured an entire ham and emerged with a mildly frosty disposition.
This year’s contenders resemble a roll call from some surreal veterinary drama. Take Ziya, a Belgian Malinois whose recent CV includes “Bay Area bullfighter,” after leaping to shield his people from a rogue bovine—earning a swift kick to the jaw and a dislodged tooth in the process. Morningstar recounts that Ziya’s showdown unfolded on an especially foggy morning, with local legend status assured and a new level of vigilance during dog walks.
Heroics aside, most nominees find trouble in more domestic settings. Wash, a Tennessee mixed-breed, mistook a yard full of cicadas for a snack fest and was met with predictable gastrointestinal fallout. According to entries detailed by UPI, Wash’s countryside cuisine adventure resulted in a sudden loss of appetite, a vet-prescribed bland diet, and a lingering suspicion about any future backyard bonanzas.
Not to be outdone, Salem, a cat from New York, set off a household panic after an AirPod mysteriously vanished. Morningstar notes attempts to locate the elusive earbud led to musical experiments and two separate vet visits, but the AirPod remains lost—and the cat, presumably, remains pleased with the outcome. Meanwhile, California’s Ozi unleashed chaos on a TV remote, triggering a battery hunt that mercifully ended under the couch rather than in his digestive tract, as indicated in both overviews.
Alligator-Eating Bulldogs and Groundhog Duels
Entries get weirder as you scroll down the list. Maddie, a bulldog in Virginia, was diagnosed with a case of “mystery illness” only after strange bone fragments started to appear. The root cause, as described by Morningstar, was ingestion of a taxidermy alligator gone missing from the home—and a rapid series of vet calls when potential exposure to toxic chemicals was revealed. Recovery followed, as did revised household décor policies.
From New Jersey, Hazel—a statuesque Great Dane-St. Bernard mix—responded to the call of a mysterious hole in the yard, leading to a standoff with its occupant: a groundhog. Hazel earned a bite to the paw for her investigative efforts, as UPI confirms, but quickly bounced back from her battle wound.
Thanksgiving leftovers also proved dangerous in Texas, where Foxtrot the Great Dane nabbed a turkey leg directly from the tongs of her owner and swallowed it whole. Morningstar details a flurry of concern, a swift call to the VetHelpline, and a happy turn: the bone was successfully removed, and Foxtrot’s culinary escapades are now (allegedly) more closely monitored.
Not to be outshone, Duke, a lab-mix from Ohio, managed to ingest an entire spatula head in the throes of peanut butter enthusiasm. Per UPI’s account, he remained unbothered and playful, but x-rays at the emergency vet led to an endoscopy and, eventually, a full return to form (minus any spatula access). Boone, a New Jersey golden retriever, staged his own backyard drama by snatching hot grilled chicken, suffering burns and a close call with a chicken bone, but likewise made a complete recovery. And Bella, the Illinois Havanese, staged a covert floral tasting, ending in a technicolor stomach upset but no permanent harm.
Maybe “Curiosity Killed the Cat” Needs a Pet Insurance Rider
Despite the sheer variety of adventures, certain patterns emerge: pet ownership is equal parts love, vigilance, and accidental exposure to objects never intended for consumption. Dr. Emily M. Tincher, quoted by both UPI and Morningstar, commented that pets “always find new ways to surprise us,” and the Hambone Award’s purpose is to spotlight not only unpredictability but also the recovery teams quietly at work in the background.
Happily, all the nominated animals are now recovered, reimbursed, and probably plotting their next move. For anyone curious (or needing a cautionary tale for their own four-legged friend), voting is open online through August 12. The top dog (or cat, or perhaps future hamster) claims the Hambone trophy and a Petco gift card, while runners-up also receive Petco rewards—perhaps prompting more “supervised” shopping trips in the future. It’s easy to imagine the conversation at check-out: “So, what brings you to Petco today?” only to hear, “Well, my bulldog ate a stuffed alligator.”
The Enduring Allure of Pet Chaos
The Hambone Award isn’t rewarding mischief so much as it’s acknowledging the unpredictable, inventive spirit of animals living in an environment designed by humans. It’s a gently comedic reminder: home life plus animal equals infinite improvisation.
When you open your door to a pet, as this year’s finalists demonstrate, you open your life to messes, miracles, and more than a few surreal vet bills. As outlined by both sources, these annual stories stitch together a patchwork of laughter, disbelief, and just enough humility for pet owners everywhere. After seventeen years, one has to wonder: what stories have yet to unfold, and is any object in a pet-friendly house truly safe?
One thing is certain: these are awards given out with absolutely no regrets, at least on the part of the pets. The humans, as always, will no doubt remain on guard.
