Brea, Calif. (Oct. 2, 2008)—The phrase “wild goose chase” typically refers to a hopeless mission destined to end in failure. For Rider, the Belgian sheepdog, the problem was a wild squirrel chase which became a reckless mission that ended in a wheelbarrow.

“It’s a decorative wheelbarrow filled with flowers next to a tree,” said Rider’s owner Joyce Biethan of Ridgefield, Wash. “The squirrel ran up the tree and I don’t know if Rider zigged when he was supposed to zag or what, but he ran right into the wheelbarrow at full speed. He broke his scapula and a rib, which punctured a lung. He was pretty miserable for a few weeks, but he’s getting better now. I wish I could give other pet owners some advice, but my dog chased a squirrel and ran into a wheelbarrow. How are you supposed to prevent that?”

Biethan’s claim for Rider’s wheelbarrow collision was one of more than 86,000 claims received in the month of September by Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance. Rider’s uncommon accident was considered along with other out of the ordinary claims submitted in September and selected by VPI as the most unusual of the bunch.

As the most unusual claim submitted in September, Biethan’s claim will be placed in the running for VPI’s first Hambone Award. Each month, VPI employees will nominate the most interesting claim and in July 2009 ask the public to vote for the most unusual claim of the year. The Hambone Award is named in honor of a VPI-insured dog that got stuck in a refrigerator and ate an entire Thanksgiving 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.

Honorable mentions in September included a bulldog that ate an entire nativity set, a mixed-breed dog that swallowed a diamond wedding band, a Labrador retriever that ran into barbed wire while chasing wild turkeys, a boxer that ate two pounds of raspberry cream chocolate, and a golden retriever that made the mistake of trying to taste a porcupine. All pets considered for the award made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the nation’s oldest and largest pet health insurance company. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet WellCare Protection^SM for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 1,600 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.

Note to editors: Digital images of Rider the Belgian sheepdog available upon request. Send request to gbiniasz@petinsurance.com.