desymbol: Vets Save Man’s Dog From Cancer, He Thanks Them With A $6M Super Bowl Ad

Vets are real everyday heroes. Every single day, they help heal our pets, but they don’t get enough praise. Fortunately, once in a while, somebody comes along who spares no expense to show their utmost appreciation for veterinarians.

David MacNeil thanked the vets who saved his 7-year-old Golden Retriever, Scout, from cancer with a 6 million dollar Super Bowl ad. And the best part? He encouraged people to donate to the vets who saved his dog and all the funds raised from that commercial will support research at the heroes’ veterinary school and help them buy new equipment. That way, they’ll be able to diagnose and treat cancer even better: not just in animals but in humans, too.

“Scout’s illness devastated us. We wanted this year’s Super Bowl effort to not only raise awareness but also financial support for the incredible research and innovative treatments happening at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, where Scout is still a patient,” Macneil said in a statement.

“We wanted to use the biggest stage possible to highlight Scout’s story and these incredible breakthroughs, which are not just limited to helping dogs and pets. This research will help advance cancer treatments for humans as well, so there’s the potential to save millions of lives of all species.”

Vets saved 7-year-old Scout from cancer and his owner thanked them with a 6 million dollar ad

Image credits: uwmadison

You can watch the Super Bowl ad right here

Meanwhile, the dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Mark Markel, said that this is an opportunity for “veterinary medicine worldwide.”

“So much of what’s known globally today about how best to diagnose and treat devastating diseases such as cancer originated in veterinary medicine. We’re thrilled to share with Super Bowl viewers how our profession benefits beloved animals like Scout and helps people, too,” he shared his thoughts in a statement.

Scout is his owner David MacNeil’s best friend

Image credits: wtscout

Scout had a 1% chance to survive, but his owner wouldn’t give up on him

Image credits: wtscout

Here’s a video about how the vets treated Scout

Scout collapsed in the summer of 2019, was diagnosed with cancer and was given only one month to live. However, the founder and CEO of car accessories company WeatherTech, MacNeil, couldn’t accept this fate for his best buddy.

He decided not to put down his Golden Retriever despite him having only a 1 percent chance to survive: “I’m like, ‘I’m not putting that dog down. There’s just absolutely no way.”

Instead, he took Scout to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine where vets treated him with chemotherapy and radiation. Now, Scout’s tumor is nearly entirely gone.

The vets are doing everything they can to help Scout recover

Image credits: weathertech

Scout is a very good boy

Image credits: wtscout

Image credits: uwmadison

Image credits: wtscout

MacNeil’s Super Bowl ad is a 30-second commercial called ‘Lucky Dog’ and encouraged people to donate money to support tireless vets like the ones who saved Scout. “I hope it has a positive impact on cancer for animals and people, all over the world,” he said about the commercial.

There are three main options when it comes to treating pets with cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (aka radiotherapy). These can also be used in combination with other treatments to try and save an animal’s life.

The type of treatment advised is linked to the type of cancer, its growth rate, as well as how far it has spread. Surgery, i.e. cutting out the tumor, is considered to be the oldest, most effective, and most frequently used type of treatment. Nowadays, it’s usually done alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy. All in the hopes of saving the animal, so he can be just like Scout the Golden Retriever.