Hyannis Animal Hospital Receives $10,000 to Treat Pets in Need Thanks to 2013 VPI Hambone Award® Winner

ImageWhile every pet nominated for the VPI Hambone Award® has had a unique incident, the one thing they all have in common is the exceptional care they received at their veterinary hospital. For their outstanding treatment of Winnie, this year’s winner, Hyannis Animal Hospital in West Yarmouth, Mass., will receive a $10,000 VPI-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment.

This was the first year VPI expanded the Hambone Award® to include a charitable contribution to the hospital that cared for the winning nominee. With a $10,000 VPI donation to care for pets in need on the line, 11 hospitals from across the country rallied in support of their pet patient.  In the end, it was Winnie—ironically saved by social media— who garnered the most online votes, securing the award for herself and for her hospital.

Winnie’s story captivated Hambone voters once they read how her owners, Kyle and Ross Bowser of Barnstable, Mass., came home one day to an empty frozen onion ring bag on the floor and Winnie with a very guilty expression on her face. Thinking the onion ring consumption could lead to nothing more than a stomach ache; Kyle’s husband posted the photo on Facebook. A friend who viewed the photo pointed out how harmful onions can be to dogs, leading the Bowsers to research the toxicity of onions, which ultimately led them to the Hyannis Animal Hospital.

At the hospital, the veterinary staff purged Winnie from her frozen feast, reduced the toxicity and performed a blood test to ensure that she made a full recovery. All pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses. More than 6,000 votes were cast at VPIHamboneAward from Sept. 24 – Oct. 11, 2013 to determine the winner.