Darla, an 11-year-old Newfoundland/Labrador mix, underwent oral surgery at UC Davis to remove a canine acanthomatous ameloblastoma, a benign tumor affecting her lower jawbone.
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine is one of only three veterinary schools to receive the Insight Into Academia Magazine’s 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award, recognizing the school's commitment to supporting scholars and helping them transition into an emotionally demanding profession.
Tribute originally published in San Francisco Bay Times
It’s hard for us to use the past tense when describing our phenomenal sister and sister-in-law Patty Gaffney. But slightly less than two years ago, Patty was diagnosed with aggressive metastatic breast cancer completely out of the blue. And in July, she passed away at age 48–yet another life tragically cut short by the disease.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) welcomed 57 new house officers (41 residents, 8 fellows, 8 interns) into its advanced training programs this year. The UC Davis SVM House Officer Program is the largest of its kind in the United States with 144 total house officers (124 residents, 10 fellows, 10 interns) advancing their skills in approximately 40 training programs. These programs range from one to four years in length, during which veterinarians focus on a specific aspect of specialty medicine such as oncology, equine surgery, internal medicine, or anesthesiology.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Continuing Professional Education is proud to announce the launch of AggieVET 2026, a brand-new, two-day veterinary conference designed to deliver premier continuing education for the entire veterinary community. The inaugural event will be held May 30–31, 2026, both in-person at UC Davis and virtually for participants around the world.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine announced that it had raised $118 million in the fiscal year 2024-25, a new record for the school. A total of 5,380 individuals, corporations, and foundations made 8,632 philanthropic contributions.
At 9 months old, Onyx is already an experienced show animal. His family has been showing sheep as a hobby for nearly a decade, and Onyx is the latest addition to their flock. Unfortunately, the award-winning Natural colored Hampshire cross sheep became acutely ill at a recent show.
“After traveling to a show, I could tell Onyx wasn’t feeling well that evening, but I wasn’t terribly worried,” said his owner. “But on a walk the next morning, he went down abruptly and could not get back up.”
Dr. Sandy Willis, a 1984 graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was elected chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Directors (BOD). Dr. Willis, District 11 representative on the AVMA BOD, was elected chair on July 20 while meeting during AVMA Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C., held in conjunction with the 40th World Veterinary Association Congress.
The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) recently acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its staff members with the annual VMTH Staff Excellence Awards.
The VMTH Staff Excellence Awards are divided into these categories:
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s 75th anniversary communications campaign received “Grand Gold”—the highest honor—in the 2025 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
Contributed by the Louis Lab, a multidisciplinary and multi-state group which aims to improve the financial and economic resilience of the U.S. dairy industry.
Five faculty members have been selected for a 2025 Chancellor’s Fellowship recognizing their work to, in the words of the organizers, “foster a learning environment where all students can develop the skills to be successful.”
Among them was Dr. Luis M. Peña-Lévano of the School of Veterinary Medicine. The assistant professor of Cooperative Extension was recognized for his outstanding expertise in the field of agricultural economics.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is deeply saddened by the passing of John C. Harris, a distinguished UC Davis alumnus, agricultural innovator, and devoted supporter of animal health and education. Harris, who passed away at the age of 81, earned his degree in agricultural production from UC Davis and went on to become a transformative figure in California’s agricultural and equine industries. As chairman and CEO of Harris Farms, Inc., his leadership helped build one of the most respected names in farming, ranching, and Thoroughbred breeding on the West Coast.
The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) is pleased to announce that orthopedic surgeon Dr. Po-Yen Chou has achieved Fellow status in Joint Replacement Surgery (JRS) with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).
