Ziya, a Belgian Malinois from Livermore, was awarded with the Hambone Award after coming face-to-face with a bull and losing a tooth.
LIVERMORE, Calif. - A dog from Livermore has won an award for an unusual deed.
Ziya, a Belgian Malinois, is the winner of the 2025 Hambone Award from Nationwide Pet Insurance.
The dog was recognized for the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year.
In an interview with the insurance company, his owner said while they were on a morning walk, Ziya found himself in the middle of a real-life bullfight with a loose angry bull.
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The dog was kicked in the jaw and lost a tooth.
"Here we come up on this massive bull. He starts snorting and Ziya dives headlong into it and the bull kicked him," the dog owner said. "So, took him to the ER. We had the tooth extracted and recovered perfectly."
Nationwide Pet Insurance says the award is presented annually to recognize the unique claims and bring awareness to the surprising things that can happen to pets.
The Hambone Award, now in its 17th year, was named in honor of a dog insured by Nationwide who got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire holiday ham. The dog was found with the licked-clean ham bone and suffered a case of hypothermia.