Dogs

It isn’t often that researchers involved in the fundamental aspects of translational medicine get to meet a patient who has benefitted from a decade or more of basic science. So, when Dr. Stephen McSorley and his postdoctoral researcher Dr. Marietta Ravesloot-Chavez met Snoopy on the last day of his clinical trial, there were lots of ear scratches to deliver. 

“We’re often stuck in the lab, thinking about details to make the research better,” said McSorley. “We don’t often get to see a patient go through a clinical trial and actually see it work. This is pretty fun!” 

Dr. Nicole C. Close and her husband Christopher Albrecht have supported the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine in many different ways, all with the same goal—creating tangible impact to help advance veterinary health.

When their beloved laboradors Loki and Thor were diagnosed with nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma, clinicians at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and the Center for Companion Animal Health (CCAH) cared for both of them during a difficult time of their health journey.

Anne Marie Messano Petrie and her husband Geoff Petrie are grieving the loss of their beloved golden retriever Winston, who passed away last year from hemangiosarcoma (HSA). A particularly aggressive canine cancer, HSA is known as a silent killer. Although some treatments are available to extend a dog’s life, it is rarely curable. In the midst of their loss, they have established Winston’s Golden Promise, a fund in support of UC Davis’ canine cancer research.

Whether a dog needs help getting home or finding a new one, timely care is the strongest predictor of a positive outcome. For dogs separated from their owners, the odds of reuniting with their family plummet after the first 24-48 hours. Dogs without identification that already have a family can get lost in the system and, in the best-case scenario, find a new home, often one needed by a dog with no other option.