A Life’s Work Turns into Legacy Gift
Pioneer Supports New Veterinary Cancer Center
Alice Villalobos (’68 CAES, ’72 DVM) and her husband, Ira Lifland, have made a transformational estate gift to the school’s new Veterinary Cancer Center, which is part of the next phase of the Veterinary Medical Complex expansion. Their commitment, the largest from an alumnus in the school's history. Once the commitment is realized, it will help the school establish the Veterinary Cancer Center, advancing care and research for animals affected by cancer.
One of the pioneers in veterinary oncology, Villalobos was a first-generation oncology resident when it was a pilot program. She trained under Dr. Gordon Thielen, considered to be amongst the first in the world to specialize in the field of veterinary oncology prior to the specialization being formalized. She graduated from the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1972, and went on to become a trailblazer in the developing specialty. She was the first to have a private practice in veterinary oncology, focusing on companion animals with cancer.
Her work brought awareness to companion animal community, leading the way for the veterinary community and pet owners in caring for animals facing cancer. Her visionary practice was the first multidisciplinary private oncology and radiation therapy referral service in the country, and she dedicated her veterinary practice to compassionate care for pets and their families. She also published the seminal textbook on the subject: Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human-Animal Bond.
Villalobos is also the founding member of the Veterinary Cancer Society and the 1994 recipient of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Alumni Achievement Award. She introduced “Pawspice” to the veterinary community in 2002, a program of emphasizing compassionate, gentle care focused on preserving quality of life whenever possible, inspired by “hospice care” that exists for human medicine. Her work continues to help pet owners and veterinarians today when faced with decisions about a pet’s end of life care. Her visionary work included the creation of “HHHHHMM” Quality of Life chart in 2004, used widely today by veterinary staff and pet caregivers in making decisions about the quality of life for pets and animals.
Villalobos and Lifland have also made generous contributions to the continuing education of the veterinary community that focuses on dedicated to advancing professional expertise in palliative treatment and care for end-of-life veterinary cancer (oncology) patients. Their commitment honors the “Pawspice” philosophy. This year, they supported the annual Spectrum of Care Symposium, dedicated to advancing the professional expertise in palliative treatment and care for End-of-Life veterinary cancer (oncology) patients.
Their gift to the Veterinary Cancer Center continues the momentum in building the planned center, which will bring the most advanced cancer treatments together with leading-edge research and clinical trials. The VCC will set the standard for preventing, diagnosing, and treating canine, feline, and equine cancer. It will also serve as the expanded home for the school’s Veterinary Center for Clinical Trials, where a focus on translational research supports both animal and human healing.
***
Learn more: