Dennice Wilson and Choon Neo Siow have long shared a deep love of animals, but their experience caring for their dog Harper gave them a deeper appreciation for veterinary care, particularly the expertise they found at UC Davis.

Now retired from careers abroad, Choon Neo and Dennice divide their time between Houston, Texas and San Diego, California. Dennice serves on the board of a large rescue organization in Houston and sees firsthand the need for more veterinarians. “The world needs more veterinarians, and with every year, that gap is growing larger,” she said.

Their appreciation for veterinary medicine is also deeply personal. Dennice and Choon Neo have shared their lives with six mini-Schnauzers: Katie, Sydney, Annie, Harper, Jamie and Andi. They are fortunate to still have Harper, Jamie, and Andi and the five of them travel between Houston and San Diego. The veterinary care their dogs have received has been lifesaving—particularly for their beloved Harper. 

Harper came to Choon Neo and Dennice with pneumonia when he was just a four-month old, requiring veterinary care to bring him back to health. 

“From that first time he was ill, we never questioned that we would do anything to help him,” Dennice said.

Years later, when Harper developed a growth on his jaw, that commitment was tested again. Dennice and Choon Neo researched veterinary specialists across the country. They knew they needed not only a veterinary specialist to remove the growth, but also one who was experienced in complex cases (Harper also has liver issues, chronic pancreatitis and diabetes). Their research quickly led them to UC Davis’ veterinary dentistry and oral surgery service. 

There, they found Stephanie Goldschmidt, BVM&S, DAVDC, DEVDC, F-OMFS, and her team, who advised that the bottom right section of Harper’s jaw be removed. Choon Neo and Dennice spent seven weeks in Davis as Harper underwent surgery and recovered. Now, after two years and at 15 and a half years old, Harper is still alert and continues to demand that his meals be on time. "We say he has more than nine lives!”

Turning Gratitude into Discovery

“Dr. Goldschmidt’s work is so meaningful, especially since there may be implications for human cancer research as well,” Choon Neo said. “We are so grateful to her and her team, especially Dr. Janny Evenhuis and Dr. Serena Bonacini, for saving our sweet old man, Harper. When we found out about the research she was doing to help detect oral cancers, we absolutely wanted to support it,” said Dennice.

Their gratitude for Harper’s care soon became an opportunity to help other animals. Their first gift in 2024 helped launch and sustain Dr. Goldschmidt’s clinical trial and their most recent gift this year provided the remaining funding needed to carry the trial forward. 

Their generous support of Dr. Goldschmidt’s Fluorescence Imaging in Oral Cancer Research Fund will ensure that the testing of her imaging device and novel cancer-specific probes continues, with the hope that oral cancers may be detected and treated even more effectively in the future.

A tonsillar mass that received a theranostic probe (anti-PDL1 bound to IRDye-800). It is accumulating in the tumor and not the surrounding tissue. (Credit: Dr. Stephanie Goldschmidt)

My hope is that our gift will help the school continue to push the boundaries of what can be discovered." Choon Neo said. "The data that research provides creates an opportunity for future treatments for animals and humans alike. Her most recent findings we saw were very impressive and encouraging." 

For Dr. Goldschmidt, their generosity is helping provide something especially meaningful for a new faculty member: the opportunity to build a research program and pursue discoveries that could change the future of veterinary care.

Dr. Goldschmidt expressed her gratitude for Dennice’s and Choon Neo’s support. “I am so deeply grateful for the generosity and support from Dennice and Choon Neo which has allowed me to continue my research on improving intraoperative diagnostics for oral tumors in dogs with fluorescence imaging. As a new faculty member at UC Davis, this type of support is truly transformative in my ability to grow a robust and meaningful research program.”

For Choon Neo and Dennice, it all comes back to Harper, and the extraordinary care that gave their beloved companion more time with them. Now, through their generosity, Harper’s story has the potential to help create new possibilities for the countless animals and the people who love them. 

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Learn more about Dr. Stephanie Goldschmidt’s research and how philanthropy is helping advance new possibilities in veterinary medicine. 

Make a gift to support her work and its potential to help many more animals like Harper.