Chopper takes home the 2020 Hambone Award

Chopper, a boisterous boxer from Burke, Virginia, is the winner of the 12th annual Hambone Award® presented by Nationwide®. The nation’s largest provider of pet health insurance uses the award to recognize the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year and honor local veterinary practices for the exceptional care they provide during emergency situations.

Chopper was treated by the veterinary team at The Regional Veterinary Referral Center in Springfield, VA. Chopper underwent emergency surgery for cuts and lacerations on his tendons after he burst through a glass window in excitement trying to play with a neighbor. For their outstanding work, The Regional Veterinary Referral Center will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation (VCF) to help treat pets in their community whose owners could otherwise not afford treatment. One hundred percent of all donations to the VCF are used to treat pets, with no contributions used for administration, fundraising or overhead.

As the 2020 Hambone Award winner, Chopper will receive the coveted bronze Hambone Award Trophy, as well as a Chewy gift card.

The veterinary practices that treated the other finalists below will also receive a share of the overall Nationwide-funded award through VCF.

2nd Place: Olive, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from San Diego, California, ran up a tree in futile pursuit of a squirrel and survived a 12-foot fall after losing her footing among the branches. ($7,000 to Blue Sky Veterinary Services – San Diego, CA)

3rd Place: Max, a Shih Tzu from Goleta, California, put up a brave fight against a bigger foe when he came upon a coyote in his backyard. ($5,000 to VCA Care Specialty and Emergency Animal Hospital – Santa Barbara, CA)

4th Place: Penny, a 16-year-old shorthaired tabby cat from La Jolla, California, took a two-story tumble from a balcony. ($4,000 to Cote Animal Hospital – San Diego, CA)

5th Place: Pistol, an Australian Cattle Dog from Los Angeles, California, sustained a scary mouth-to-mouth collision with another dog during rambunctious play time at the park. ($4,000 to Beverly Hills Small Animal Hospital – Beverly Hills, CA)

The 5 nominees were chosen from more than 2 million claims received by Nationwide during the past year. All pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible veterinary expenses. Thousands of votes were cast at HamboneAward.com from Nov. 14 – Nov. 18 to determine the winner.