Alpharetta Cat Wins Nationwide’s 2019 Hambone Award

ALPHARETTA, GA — A cat from Alpharetta that went missing who later returned home has earned her veterinarian office $10,000 to help more pets.

Minnow the tabby cat from Alpharetta beat out four other finalists for the 11th annual Hambone Award by Nationwide Insurance, which she won on Tuesday.

The adventurous cat returned home from a 21-day journey emaciated and with a broken rib, Nationwide said.

The Midway Animal Hospital that provided Minnow’s emergency treatment received $10,000 Nationwide-funded award today to help treat pets in their community whose owners could otherwise not afford veterinary care. Four other veterinary clinics will receive a total of $20,000 based on their corresponding pet’s placement in the contest.

Her story begins when her adopted parents Andrea, and her late husband Graham, made an unplanned visit to an animal shelter, they were immediately drawn to a sweet, talkative cat named Minnow—but wound up going home without adopting her. Andrea was consumed with regret and called the next day, only to find that the domestic short hair had already been adopted. That evening, she learned it was her husband who had taken the cat home.

The sweet cat clearly means everything to Andrea, which is why she was so distressed when Minnow went missing, Nationwide said.

"She'd been an indoor-outdoor cat in Charleston, South Carolina, but when we moved to Atlanta, I tried to make her an indoor cat. She clearly wanted to be an outdoor cat," Andrea said in the finalist article. "She'd go out a little farther each day, but I never worried because she always came back."

But when more and more time began to pass since Minnow had been home, Andrea began to worry. Finally, Andrea and her now-wife, Elaine, decided to roll up their sleeves and start a search, the company said.

"We were new to the neighborhood and I didn't know anyone," Andrea said in the article. "Elaine crawled through all the woods and briars. I made flyers and posted them up and even went door to door. We also had a WhatsApp for our neighborhood, so I would post there to see if anyone had seen her."

After three weeks passed and Minnow was still gone, Andrea and Elaine became desperate.
"I got in my car to go home, and I was in tears," Andrea said in the article. "I started talking to myself, and then I started talking to Graham. I said, 'All right, Graham. You brought Minnow home the first time. Now I need you to bring her home again.' The very next day, I'm throwing something in the trash can, and there's Minnow at the back door! I was in complete shock."

Andrea immediately took Minnow to Midway Animal Hospital in Alpharetta, where she was diagnosed with starvation, dehydration and a broken rib, Nationwide said. Given all that the little cat had been through, the veterinary staff was impressed by her quick recovery.

Her 21-day journey and subsequent recovery earned Minnow a nomination for the 2019 Nationwide Hambone Award, honoring the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year, the company said.

"If you have an animal missing for a long time, they are going to have health problems when they get home. So, having insurance coverage is important," Andrea said in the article. "Having pet insurance is a great idea; Nationwide has been extremely helpful."

Inspired by the hundreds of thousands of unique pet insurance claims that come in annually, Nationwide created the Hambone Award to honor the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year, the company said. Each claim exemplifies the inspiring strengths of pets, the harrowing actions of pet parents and the amazing skills of trusted veterinarians.

Each year, Nationwide associates select five claims to nominate for the Hambone Award, and it's up to America to vote for the winner. The winning pet receives the coveted bronze Hambone statue plus a prize basket. However, the real winner of the Hambone Award is the veterinary practice that treated the winning nominee; that practice will receive a $10,000 donation from Nationwide to help treat local pets whose owners could not afford treatment otherwise.

This year's other finalists included:

• Max: Getting "boar" than he expected
• Tippy: California Border Collie Tangles with Trailer Hitch
• Jasper: Texas Kitty Narrowly Avoids a Dryer Disaster
• Frank: A prickly situation for New Jersey Rottie

The Hambone Award is named in honor of a Nationwide-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire holiday ham while waiting for someone to find him. The dog was eventually found, with a licked-clean ham bone and a mild case of hypothermia.

All nominees considered for the award have made full recoveries and their owners received insurance reimbursement for eligible expenses.