Former Citigroup CEO and American financier Sanford "Sandy" Weill and his wife, Joan, vowed $120 million for the veterinary school at the University of California at Davis that treated their sick dog.
On Wednesday, January 28, the university shared that the large sum will reportedly support a major campus expansion, strengthen work in comparative medicine, the study of health and disease across species, and research.
Sandy and Joan's bichon frisé, Angel, received care at UC Davis after being diagnosed with lymphoma in 2018. While Angel passed away, the couple has another dog of the same breed named Sweet Pea.
Joan Weill emphasised the significance of research while also highlighting their family's personal connection to the veterinary school in a statement, noting, "Angel's care at UC Davis left a lasting impression on our family."
"As Sandy and I became more involved with the school over the years, we have been continually inspired by its leadership, dedication to team science, pursuit of solving complex health challenges and its unwavering commitment to animals and the families who love them," she added.
Around $80 million of the Weill's gift will support construction of a small teaching hospital for animals, which will be part of a $750 million Veterinary Medical Complex expansion at UC Davis.
The overall donation, one of the largest in the university's history, will also help address the shortage of veterinarians by expanding facilities needed to recruit and train more students.
Sandy Weill, 92, who is the chair of the Weill Family Foundation, has served on the UC Davis Chancellor's Board of Advisors since 2014 after a long career in finance.
The Weills have contributed about $1.5 billion to educational, medical and cultural institutions, including a $106 million gift for brain-disease research to UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco and the University of Washington.
Notably, the UC Davis gift brings their contributions to the UC system to over $500 million.
