Rafa, a Siberian mix, was crowned the 14th Hambone Award winner. The adventurous feline escaped from his outdoor escapade astatine location and fell down a 45 feet heavy drainpipe filled with acold water. While looking for Rafa, his household heard his meows coming from a sewer grate, resulting successful them instantly calling for help.
After calling for help, the occurrence department, carnal rescue, Public Utilities, Roto-rooter, and respective neighbors helped plan, dig, and chopped into the pipes to effort and get to Rafa. Because of the rescue efforts, Rafa was successfully extracted and reunited with his family. He past spent a week successful the ICU for terrible hypothermia and different complications earlier making a afloat recovery.
If we hadn't had insurance, we would person had to see each azygous measurement and measurement it out," said Susan, 1 of Rafa’s owners, successful an organizational release.1 "In this case, we could conscionable beryllium similar 'No, propulsion the full room descend astatine this problem. Do immoderate has to beryllium done.'"
According to the release,1 Nationwide held a nationalist ballot October 4-17, 2022, to prime the victor from 12 finalists narrowed down from 3.4 cardinal claims submitted by Nationwide implicit 12 months from crossed implicit 1.1 cardinal insured pets. As the expansive prize winner, Rafa’s household received a $1,000 acquisition paper and a $1,000 donation talented to an approved foundation successful their name, and a trophy.
"The emotion of animals is 1 happening that seems to unite us, and that worked to Rafa's benefit," expressed Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS, Nationwide's main veterinary officer.1 "Neighbors, metropolis agencies, backstage companies – they each came unneurotic to get Rafa retired of a unsafe situation. And past his veterinary squad got him backmost to health. What a large squad effort for a beloved pet!"
Two runners-up were besides selected.1 Russel, a mixed breed canine from Granada Hills, California, who cracked respective beforehand teeth aft moving afloat velocity into a factual patio measurement connected his mode to conscionable a household member, and Rex, a Shih Tzu from Livonia, Michigan, who swallowed a wishbone. Each runner ups household received a $500 acquisition paper and a $500 donation successful their sanction to an approved favored foundation that they picked.
Reference
Seattle feline rescued from metropolis drainpipe wins Hambone Award for astir antithetic #petstory. News release. Nationwide. October 19, 2022. Accessed October 19, 2022. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seattle-cat-rescued-from-city-drainpipe-wins-hambone-award-for-most-unusual-petstory-301653578.html