Rooster, a hound mix from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the 2017winner of the 9th annual Hambone Awards. The Hambone Awardhonors the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year. Roosterwas nominated after he was impaled by a large tree branch during aroutine hiking trip.

The Hambone Award, presented by Nationwide,honors the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year; Roosterwas nominated after he was impaled by a large tree branch during aroutine hiking trip.

Rooster was treated by the veterinary team at VeterinaryReferral & Emergency Center in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania,where they performed a life-saving surgery to remove the treebranch. For their efforts, the facility will receive a $10,000Nationwide-funded through the Veterinary Care Foundation to helptreat pets in their community whose owners could otherwise notafford veterinary care.

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Rooster's story

On the day of the accident, Jen Hawker, Rooster's owner, had takenher small pack of dogs on a day hike. The group included Rooster,Hawker's other dog Goose and a foster dog named Lulu. The dogs wereoff their leashes, due to the lack of foot traffic, when theychased a vermin down a small hill.

After hearing a loud cry, Hawker noticed "an elongated bulge onhis side and knew something was wrong." With Rooster unable to walkand Hawker unable to carry him back to the car, she was out ofoptions and called 911. The group soon found out that Rooster hadbeen impaled by a large branch that stemmed over a foot long andhad narrowly missed his lungs by less than an inch.

After the surgery, Rooster needed a couple of weeks for thewounds to heal and the soreness to wear off. As the 2017 HamboneAward winner, Rooster will receive a trophy, as well as aNationwide gift bag filled with toys, treats and various petsupplies.

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Don't forget about second and third place

Second place: Butterscotch the Great Pyrenees/Irishsetter mix of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A walk in the city leftButterscotch with shocking injuries after he stepped in a puddlethat was exposed to a live wire and was electrocuted. Butterscotchwas treated at MedVet Chicago.

Third place: Star the Cattle Dog mix ofSouth Bend, Ind. Star’s daily walks are often interrupted by herclumsiness, but a recent trailside blunder nearly ended in tragedyafter she fell into a hidden manhole. Star was treated at theParrett Veterinary Clinic in Indiana.

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