Billionaire and wife donate $120 million to UC Davis veterinary school

Sanford and Joan Weill donated $120 million to the University of California, Davis veterinary school after the school's hospital treated their dog, with funds designated for a new small-animal teaching hospital and research.

Sanford 'Sandy' I. Weill and his wife, Joan, gave $120 million to the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine following care their dog received at the school's hospital. School officials announced the gift and said it will expand clinical capacity and research. The donation was inspired by treatment the couple's dog Angel received after a lymphoma diagnosis in 2018. Officials also said the school will be renamed in the Weills' honor. Key points: - The Weills donated $120 million to UC Davis' veterinary school, the largest gift the school has received, school officials said. - The couple said the donation was inspired by care their dog Angel received after a lymphoma diagnosis in 2018. - $80 million is designated for construction of a new small-animal teaching hospital as part of an expanded Veterinary Medicine Complex. - $40 million will support fundamental and clinical research, including early-stage projects that often face funding challenges. - University officials said the expanded facility could care for up to 20,000 more animals annually and incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and precision medicine. - The school will be renamed the University of California Davis Joan and Sanford I Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, and university officials said the Weills' total contributions to the UC system now total $500 million. Summary: School officials said the gift is intended to strengthen comparative medicine, accelerate research on cancer and other diseases, and expand training capacity in high-demand veterinary specialties. The school will be renamed and construction of a new small-animal teaching hospital will be funded. Undetermined at this time.