The UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine has received the second largest individual gift ever made to the school: $75 million from Bay Area residents Kathy Chiao and Kenneth Hao.
Their gift will name the school’s new small animal hospital, which will provide cutting-edge veterinary care, accommodate more patients annually, and increase space for student and specialty training. Their gift will also fund scholarships, animal-human translational medicine, and programs for those unable to afford veterinary care.
By the time Wednesday, a now 9-year-old female German Shepherd mix, was rescued by Steve Napolitano in 2021, she had already been placed in a kill shelter and rejected by two families, only to be diagnosed with cancer after finally finding happiness in a safe home.
After seeing multiple specialists about the oral malignant melanoma diagnosed in her right jaw, Wednesday ultimately landed at the Oncology Service at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in early 2025.
Newborn puppies will often wrestle and roughhouse with each other. More often than not, it all results in good fun. But one such incident with 6-week-old Kailana indicated to her owners John Hartmire and spouse Christine Pobanz-Stelter that there could be something seriously wrong with their golden retriever.
Two years ago, Kidogo, a 13-year-old male Dachshund, was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. Kidogo, whose name means “small” in Swahili, is the beloved pet and cherished member of the Balatti family. Despite his tiny stature, he has an enormous personality, and his family would do anything to help him.
Snickerdoodle, a 5-year-old chocolate English Labrador retriever, was diagnosed by her primary veterinarian with a mammary carcinoma following a litter in 2024. She underwent surgery with that veterinarian for mammary mass removal and a spay procedure. The histopathology report noted that the tumor was malignant, but there were no signs of metastasis at that time.
She was referred to the Medical Oncology Service at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) for further evaluation and potential follow-up treatment.
The following news was released September 30, 2025 by the Westie Foundation of America
Support for promising veterinarians in training has never been more important than today. The Westie Foundation of America, Inc. (WFA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the health and well-being of the West Highland White Terrier breed announced today the first scholarship award of The Westie Foundation of America/Thomas and Roxanne Austin Veterinary Scholarship program.
The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine today announced plans to launch a new phase of its veterinary medical complex — made possible by philanthropic gifts totaling $110.5 million to date. The expansion will help address the critical veterinary workforce shortage, expand patient care and support cutting-edge research in cancer, translational medicine and other key areas of biomedical science.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine recently launched the next phase of our Veterinary Medical Complex (VMC) expansion—in large part thanks to dedicated donors who have supported our bold vision with $110.5 million in gifts to date. This visionary campaign, termed "Limitless," reflects the school's ambition to define a new era in veterinary health.
The UC Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital opened the All Species Imaging Center, a central hub for all advanced diagnostic imaging including small animal computed tomography (CT), high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for both small and large animals, positron emission tomography (PET)/CT for both small and large animals, and a dedicated large bore equine CT.
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.
