German Shepard who survived a 400-foot fall wins the 2021 Hambone Award

Nationwide has declared Bruins, a 3-year-old German Shepard from Los Angeles County, California, the winner of the 2021 Hambone Award after sustaining a 400-foot tumble into a canyon where he survived isolated for 4 days with serious injuries.

According to an organizational release, Bruins either fell or jumped off a steep cliff in an attempt to flee from well-intentioned men locating him after he originally went missing. During a community search, the resilient canine was discovered by an off-duty police officer and was then rushed to an ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital where was treated for a broken femur, collapsed lung, internal bleeding, and a shattered leg that needed surgery.

To demonstrate the company’s appreciation for the extraordinary care and follow-up treatment provided to Bruins by the ACCESS Specialty Animal Hospital staff, Los Angeles Nationwide awarded the hospital $10,000 through the Veterinary Care Foundation to help cover the cost of treatment of pets whose owners cannot afford care.

“At Nationwide we’re all about ‘extraordinary care,’ and we’re always proud to recognize that in our country’s veterinary teams,” said Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS, chief veterinary officer at Nationwide. “In Bruin’s case, the entire community showed extraordinary care in finding and helping this dog. I’m so pleased we could be a part of that effort, covering much of the expense through our pet health insurance.”

Bruins was selected from over 2.6 million claims submitted to Nationwide from the company’s database made up of more than 1 million insured pets. Out of the claims, the public then voted on a winner. Additional notable finalists include:

• A mixed-breed dog named Griffin from Chicago, Illinois. Griffin ingested a full-length bamboo skewer while eating a chicken kebob at a holiday barbeque.
• A yellow Lab-golden Retriever mix named Sherlotte from Andover, Massachusetts. She sustained injuries after half of her body was submerged in a sinkhole around the site of utility work that was happening in her neighborhood.
• A miniature Schnauzer named Sophie from Kissimmee, Florida. Sophie was catapulted out of a golf cart when her owner had to suddenly swerve off the road and onto the sidewalk to avoid a car-golf cart accident.

Bruins and his family will receive a trophy from Nationwide for winning along with other undisclosed gifts.

Reference

Los Angeles County dog that survived cliffside fall earns 2021 Hambone Award® for most unusual pet insurance claim. News release. November 12, 2021; Nationwide. Accessed November 15, 2021.