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Ziya, a Belgian Malinois from Livermore, won Nationwide’s 17th annual Hambone Award, a recognition given to the most unusual pet insurance claim each year.
Voting for the winner took place between Aug. 5-12, during which Ziya competed against 10 other finalists, according to a statement from Nationwide.
The unexpected incident that earned Ziya the award involved him going toe to toe with a bull to protect his people.
Ziya’s family, the Allens, own 80 acres of land and rent out portions of it to a cattle farmer. One foggy morning on a walk with his owners, Ziya encountered a cattle-herding fence with a large breach in it and standing shortly outside of it was a bull.
Ziya quickly leaped to protect his family from the bull while they moved back toward their home. The bull kicked the dog in the upper jaw, dislodging one of Ziya’s upper canines.
After making it to safety, Tim Allen inspected Ziya and then rushed him to the emergency veterinarian. However, the injury wasn’t serious and Nationwide covered the eligible bills.
“I’m incredibly proud of Ziya for winning the Hambone Award,” Allen told Livermore Vine. “It was a scary and traumatic moment, but in the end everything turned out okay, and I’m grateful his story is being recognized.”
The two runners-up to Ziya in the Hambone Award competition were Foxtrot, a Texan Great Dane who swallowed a turkey leg whole, and Duke, a lab-mix from Ohio who ate an entire spatula head covered in peanut butter. The winner and the runners-up all received Petco gift cards, but Ziya and his family also got to take home the Hambone Award trophy.
