Nationwide Pet Insurance Announces Finalists for 2026 Hambone Award
Nationwide pet insurance has announced the nine finalists for its annual Hambone Award, which recognizes unusual and humorous pet insurance claims. The award honors pets who have made full recoveries from unexpected mishaps, such as eating cake or a drum skin, getting stuck in garage doors, or surviving alone in the wilderness. The 2026 finalists include dogs and cats whose antics range from chewing up baseballs to consuming an entire bottle of prescribed medication. Each story highlights how pet insurance helped cover veterinary costs after these incidents. Voting for the winner is open until August 14, with the results announced on August 19. The Hambone Award was inspired by a dog who famously ate a ham from inside a refrigerator and has since become an annual tradition celebrating both pets' resilience and the importance of pet insurance in covering unexpected medical expenses.
