Vote Online Today: Help pick this year’s ‘Hambone award’ recipient

Will it be a showdown between the Labrador who shattered a 55-gallon aquarium and the dachshund-terrier who was nearly buried alive by a skunk?

Those are just two of the nominees for this year’s Hambone Award, given out annually by Veterinary Pet Insurance to the most outrageous pet insurance claim it receives all year.

There is one nominee for each of the 12 months, and the winner is decided by the public, which can vote online for this year’s contest beginning today.

Then there’s Peanut (below), a dachshund-terrier mix from Sicklerville, N.J., who scuffled with a skunk and had to be rescued by firefighters after being buried alive at 2:30 in the morning.

Rescue workers had initially given up their search for the dog when owner Christy Wolfram grabbed a shovel and started digging in the dirt underneath the family’s backyard deck to find the dog.

“When the firefighters saw Christy continue to dig, one of them decided to take a last look,” Wolfgram’s husband, Keith, told VPI. “I remember him shouting, ‘I see her paw!’ and my heart just sank. By the time they got her out she was barely moving. I couldn’t believe she was alive.”

If pooping out rocks was a skill, a pug (top right) from Rhode Island would be the most talented dog in the country. Instead, Harley the pug won last year’s “Hambone Award,’’ given out annually by Veterinary Pet Insurance.