Adriana Belmonte

Poughkeepsie Journal

When Cassandra Orser of Poughkeepsie could not find her young daughter’s pants, the last resort she thought about was the family dog, Myles.

But when the 1-year-old Great Dane puppy began showing symptoms of a stomach blockage, her suspicion was confirmed.

After a few days, Orser and her husband Matthew took Myles to Arlington Animal Hospital, where an X-ray was taken and confirmed that the pants, which belonged to their toddler Norah, were indeed in his stomach.

The vets performed surgery later that day, and Myles stayed at the hospital for a few days to recover, she said.

Now, Myles' penchant for pants has earned him a slot as a nominees for Nationwide’s Hambone Award, an honor given to the most "perilous pet of the year“ for an unusual insurance claim.

“When we had an inkling he ate the pants, we were in disbelief,” Orser said. “It happened so quickly, we did not think it was possible.”

This year, Nationwide has nominated 11 pets in the U.S. for the 2016 Hambone Award. The veterinary hospital that treated the winner will receive a $10,000 Nationwide-funded award through the Veterinary Care Foundation to treat pets whose owners could not otherwise afford treatment, according to the award website. If Myles wins the public's votes in the online contest that closes Monday at http://www.hamboneaward.com, Arlington Animal Hospital will receive the money.

Diana Lulgjurovic, who works at Arlington Animal Hospital, said Myles’ case was “definitely kind of odd,” despite cases she has seen in the past.

“We often get dogs who have swallowed socks and household items,” she said, “but definitely not full-size pants.”

“With him being a puppy, we were nervous about the surgery, but we’re very thankful that everything went smoothly,” Orser said. “Seeing the pants, we were in disbelief. He swallowed them whole. Not even a nibble!”

Despite Myles turning a year old in August, he is large for his age at approximately 150 pounds, said Orser, who described him as a “mischievous” dog who often runs off with things that he is not supposed to eat.

Myles had a second surgery after swallowing the jeans because he ate rubberized work gloves that had to be removed from his intestines. They also were removed intact.

“Thankfully, this bizarre behavior of eating clothes seems to be something he is growing out of,” Orser said, noting that Myles is “big, lovable, goofy and playful,” and enjoys playing fetch and soccer.

Myles received the “Most Unusual Claim of the Month” award from Nationwide for the month of March. A few months later, Orser said Nationwide contacted her and her husband to let them know that Myles was being nominated for the Hambone Award, for the claim of the year.

The money would mean a “great deal” to the Arlington Animal Hospital," Lulgjurovic said.

The hospital uses a spay and neuter fund, but still has pet owners that have difficulties paying for surgeries for their pets, she said.

“We try to help them out whenever can,” Lulgjurovic said.

Where to vote

To vote for the 2016 Hambone Award, visit http://www.hamboneaward.com/vote-now-for-the-2016-hambone-award/