Shiloh shepherd does surprising kitchen renovations

Meet Luca, a Shiloh shepherd from Massachusetts with an energetic spirit.

Nationwide member Lori C.'s longtime companion, a German shepherd named Karma, needed a new canine sidekick to keep her company. At first, Lori wasn’t sure exactly where to start. She had deep connections in the shepherd rescue community and had fostered and adopted numerous pups. However, after years of raising high-energy shepherds, Lori wasn't quite sure she wanted to keep up with the demands of another one.

“Everyone has their breed, [and] shepherds have always been it for me,” she says. “But I'm older now, so I started looking at mixed breeds and dogs that just need homes.”

Lori combed through local adoption resources in search of a match. Then, scrolling through social media one day, she saw Luca.

“I saw his picture and his litter mates, and I fell in love,” she recalls. “We immediately drove out the next night to meet him.”

Upon meeting the litter of puppies, Lori’s immediate connection with Luca was too special to ignore. “He was like one of the only ones that didn't wriggle when I held him,” Lori remembers. “He was comfortable [with me]. Anyways, he was the one I ended up with.” Once they arrived back at home, Luca settled in quickly—and proved to be just what Karma and the family needed.

Like their German shepherd cousins, Shiloh shepherds are clever, sometimes mischievous pups. They’re also quite strong—as Lori discovered firsthand when Luca dismantled a cabinet and earned this Hambone Award nomination.

What happened?

Before a full afternoon of work meetings, Lori needed to run a quick errand. Luca had been good around the house—and was a something of drama king about staying in his crate—so Lori let him run free with Karma while she was away.

Little did she know, Luca was hard at work doing some, er, home renovations in her absence. When she returned, Lori was shocked by what she found.

“I looked up the stairs and I see my cabinet gone. He pulled the entire cabinet out, track and everything,” Lori says. In addition to the dismantled cabinet, Luca had gotten into the trash that was hidden inside. She continues, “The barrel and the front of the cabinet was flung over into my dining room. He basically dismantled my entire cabinet and attempted to eat everything in the barrel.”

Among the trash on the floor, Lori discovered bits of corn cob—a major risk for a gastrointestinal obstruction. Lori realized that Luca most likely ingested the cob, and knew she had no choice but to get him to the emergency vet right away.

Lori took Luca to the veterinarian for emergency treatment and brought Karma along to get checked out as well—just to be safe. After an afternoon of treatment and taking business calls from the veterinarian's office, Lori was able to bring Luca home to make a quick recovery, and his coverage was there to help with the eligible veterinary bills.*

How Nationwide helped

Luca has since been crate trained to prevent any other surprise home remodeling projects. However, if something unexpected happens again, his Nationwide pet insurance coverage is there to help.*

“Just having that peace of mind if an event happens, knowing that you're not on your own ... I knew I could stay calm during that situation because everything was going to be okay.”

Lori’s experiences in the foster world first introduced her to pet health insurance. She has supported many pups over the years, so she understands the importance of protecting them from the unexpected.

“I always suggest it because of course I have it and it has proven to be a lifesaver,” Lori says. “It's a thing nowadays. Everybody wants their dog covered … it gives you the freedom to be prepared for emergencies, if they come up, and just care for your pet.”