(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The votes have been tallied and the results are in – Dunkin Butterbeans nosed out Farrah Pawcett and Fiona Penny Pickles in the dog division, while Little Booty Ham Sandwich purred past Obi Wan Catnobi and Winston Purrchill in the cat category to earn the distinction of the Wackiest Pet Names of 2017.

Each year, Nationwide, the nation's first and largest provider of pet health insurance, recognizes the most clever, creative and quirky pet names across the nation. After a thorough selection process, the top 10 dog and 10 cat monikers were chosen from Nationwide's database of more than 600,000 insured pets and put to a public vote, where Dunkin Butterbeans and Little Booty Ham Sandwich were crowned the wackiest.

Dunkin Butterbean: Nicole DePalma of Boston, Massachusetts (Nationwide member since 2012) wanted a dog her entire life, and when her wish was finally granted in the form of a 2-month-old Golden retriever, she wanted to give him the most memorable moniker possible.

"I think pet names should not only reflect the personality of the pet, but also represent the owner as well," said Nicole. "I put together elements from my own life and with the help of his veterinary office, I think we created the perfect name."

The first element of Dunkin Butterbean's name stands for one of Nicole’s favorite hometown treats – donuts. Specifically, "Dunkin" represents the name of Nicole's favorite Boston based donut shop. The second part of his name originated from the puppy's first trip to the veterinary office. When the staff laid eyes on the new puppy, they immediately remarked that the he looked like a little slab of butter sitting on the table. The last part of his extensive moniker stands for the city of Boston's nickname – Bean Town. 

Since joining the family, Dunkin Butterbeans and Nicole have become inseparable companions. The goofy Golden is by Nicole's side for all of her adventures, which includes hiking, swimming, and cross country road trips. Nicole signed Dunkin Butterbeans up for pet insurance from Nationwide after the puppy suffered from a major medical mishap just two days post adoption.

"The day after I got Dunkin, he somehow got his paws on a BBQ skewer and attempted to eat it," said Nicole. "It was a terrifying experience and after that, I knew I had to get him covered. You never know what kind of accidents can happen with pets and it's nice to know that we're covered if something does occur."

Little Booty Ham Sandwich: Newlyweds Yessenia and Sean Savage of San Lorenzo, California (Nationwide member since 2017) had no plans of adopting a kitten the day after returning from their honeymoon. But when a stray kitten literally jumped into Yessenia's arms outside their house, they were left with little choice. After agreeing to keep the kitten, the duo brainstormed different monikers, but had trouble finding the right fit. 

"We were discussing names when the kitten walked away from us and I mentioned to Sean that she had had a cute little booty," said Yessenia. "My husband was not in agreement with that as a name, so I suggested 'Ham Sandwich'. My thought was you can ever go wrong with a ham sandwich when you're hungry, so why not for a pet name?"

The couple jokingly put the two together and molded the pieces into the full moniker: Little Booty Ham Sandwich.

"It's a silly name, but we love it," said Yessenia. "Her name definitely gets a lot of confused looks, but it always turns into smiles and laughs. I've always wanted to have a pet with an unusual name, so it worked out."

Little Booty Ham Sandwich has now grown into a loving cat that enjoys playing and cuddling with her canine siblings. She even has a neighborhood cat boyfriend that visits her at the front door every day.

Yessenia signed Little Booty Ham Sandwich up for pet insurance from Nationwide after seeing it available as a voluntary benefit at work.

"I work in the veterinary field and I see how expensive veterinary bills can be," said Yessenia. "It is important that our pets are covered to offset medical costs we may incur."

"The results from our Wacky Pet Names competition illustrate the thought and creativity pet owners put into naming their furry family members," said Scott Liles, vice president and chief pet insurance officer for Nationwide. "Pets hold a special place in our members' hearts, and as such, many give them names with sentimental – and sometimes silly – meaning."

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Nationwide
http://www.petinsurance.com/

With more than 600,000 insured pets, pet insurance from Nationwide, formerly known as Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), is the first and largest pet health insurance provider in the United States. Since 1982, Nationwide has helped provide pet owners with peace of mind and is committed to being the trusted choice of America's pet lovers.

 

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