Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) vacated the judgments of lower appellate courts in several cases concerning the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and sent those cases back to the lower courts for further consideration. The ruling essentially keeps the act intact, favoring the ability of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) to provide national, uniform safety and integrity oversight for Thoroughbred racing.
In the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Multi-Purpose Teaching Building, a new animal has taken residence. Although it’s not alive, it impressively captures the essence of its muse. John, a horse sculpture by renowned artist and UC Davis alumna Deborah Butterfield, stands on a platform in a large bay window looking towards the school’s William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Employees and clients of the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) are enjoying a new photo exhibit that invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with the land—and each other.
Getting Luanne ready for the stage is a multi-step process. First, she takes a bath. Next, she’s dried with a towel, followed by a blow dryer. Finally, time to moisturize. Beard oil is applied to her legs, comb and wattle.
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.
UC Davis Veterinary Medicine is one of only three veterinary schools to receive the Insight Into Academia Magazine’s 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award, recognizing the school's commitment to supporting scholars and helping them transition into an emotionally demanding profession.
Tribute originally published in San Francisco Bay Times
It’s hard for us to use the past tense when describing our phenomenal sister and sister-in-law Patty Gaffney. But slightly less than two years ago, Patty was diagnosed with aggressive metastatic breast cancer completely out of the blue. And in July, she passed away at age 48–yet another life tragically cut short by the disease.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) welcomed 57 new house officers (41 residents, 8 fellows, 8 interns) into its advanced training programs this year. The UC Davis SVM House Officer Program is the largest of its kind in the United States with 144 total house officers (124 residents, 10 fellows, 10 interns) advancing their skills in approximately 40 training programs. These programs range from one to four years in length, during which veterinarians focus on a specific aspect of specialty medicine such as oncology, equine surgery, internal medicine, or anesthesiology.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Continuing Professional Education is proud to announce the launch of AggieVET 2026, a brand-new, two-day veterinary conference designed to deliver premier continuing education for the entire veterinary community. The inaugural event will be held May 30–31, 2026, both in-person at UC Davis and virtually for participants around the world.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine announced that it had raised $118 million in the fiscal year 2024-25, a new record for the school. A total of 5,380 individuals, corporations, and foundations made 8,632 philanthropic contributions.
At 9 months old, Onyx is already an experienced show animal. His family has been showing sheep as a hobby for nearly a decade, and Onyx is the latest addition to their flock. Unfortunately, the award-winning Natural colored Hampshire cross sheep became acutely ill at a recent show.
“After traveling to a show, I could tell Onyx wasn’t feeling well that evening, but I wasn’t terribly worried,” said his owner. “But on a walk the next morning, he went down abruptly and could not get back up.”
Dr. Sandy Willis, a 1984 graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was elected chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Board of Directors (BOD). Dr. Willis, District 11 representative on the AVMA BOD, was elected chair on July 20 while meeting during AVMA Convention 2025 in Washington, D.C., held in conjunction with the 40th World Veterinary Association Congress.
The UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) recently acknowledged the dedication and hard work of its staff members with the annual VMTH Staff Excellence Awards.
The VMTH Staff Excellence Awards are divided into these categories:
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine’s 75th anniversary communications campaign received “Grand Gold”—the highest honor—in the 2025 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
