Athletic pup has run-in with bleacher seats

Meet Josie, Lisa and Erik’s feisty—and famous—mixed-breed pup

Erik and Lisa L. weren’t looking for a new dog before they met Josie. In fact, they were inspired by an outside source: The local news.

Erik says, “They were having a ‘clear the shelters’ day … and Lisa was like, ‘Look at this dog, she's so cute.’”

The couple rushed to the shelter to meet the star of the show. “We played with her—and we fell in love,” he continues. Lisa woke up before 6 a.m. the next day to be first in line for adoptions. Josie had found her fur-ever family.

It didn’t take long for Josie to feel comfortable at home and show Erik and Lisa the two sides of her personality. When she’s feeling a little nervous, she plays it extra sweet.

“That's her little strategy, be as cute and shy as possible and nothing will go wrong,” Lisa says.

However, when it’s play time, all that bashfulness goes out the window. “She goes full throttle,” Lisa says.

Erik adds, “Yeah, she tears out after her ball … she leaps through the air. She's just very athletic.”

For a high-energy pup like Josie, staying sporty is the name of the game. However, little did anyone know that a run-in with a piece of sports history would lead to a fur-raising Hambone nomination.

What happened?

Josie was settling in for a fun, festive Thanksgiving weekend with her family. “We went over to my mother's house in San Francisco,” Erik remembers. “Josie loves going over there, [and] everybody looks forward to seeing Josie and playing with her.”

Josie was playing fetch with a family member in the backyard. Not long after, something odd happened. When she returned with the ball, she was bleeding and one of her canine teeth was loose. The yard was safe and familiar, so the guests were surprised. Everyone looked around for any potential hazards.

Erik continues, “My mom has two seats from Candlestick Park in her backyard, but they're heavy cast iron—like really burly seats—and we think that Josie might have plowed face first into those things.”

Josie wasn’t showing many signs of discomfort, but Erik and Lisa suspected she was hurt pretty badly. Unfortunately, the veterinarian wasn’t open due to the holiday. After a tense day of careful observation, they brought her in for X-rays and were stunned by the result.

Erik says, “She fractured her jaw and ultimately needed to go in for surgery. She also lost four of her teeth, including that canine.”

Josie had a few weeks of recovery time, including an e-collar and restricted activity so she could heal, but she is now back to her extreme playtime (under watchful supervision) with a new favorite, safer hobby: nighttime walks.

Lisa adds, “She still likes to play, but I think now she probably looks forward to the walks at night more than anything.”

How Nationwide helped

Shortly after she was adopted, Josie swallowed a chunk of a ball, resulting in a trip to the veterinarian. Erik and Lisa decided it was advisable to protect their spunky pup from the unexpected with pet insurance. Since then, they’re glad they did.

“I'd heard about [Nationwide pet insurance] before, but it's offered as a benefit through my job, so I signed up for it during open enrollment,” Lisa says. “I've highly recommended it, because if there's an accident, it's great for stuff like that. Anyone who has a dog, something could come up where it's totally worth it.”

Erik adds, “I think when you have a dog like Josie who is accident prone … it provides a lot of peace of mind that, if something traumatic does happen, you're covered.”