Canine Educators Boost Spirits and Support During Purdue Day of Giving

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Canine Educators quickly commanded the attention of passersby on the Memorial Mall as the dogs and their care team arrived for “Pet-a-Pup” during the Purdue Day of Giving April 24.

Purdue Day of Giving goes by “PDoG” for short, and you could say the 2024 version of the annual global fundraising effort truly was a “dog’s day” – in a good way – for the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. The online and social media-driven fundraising event on April 24 attracted record, world-wide giving from Boilermakers, including Purdue Veterinary Medicine alumni, friends, faculty and staff.

As part of the on-campus festivities, the PVM Canine Educators “stole the show,” so to speak, on Purdue’s Memorial Mall, adjacent to Stewart Center, offering passersby the opportunity to “Pet-a-Pup” to brighten their day. The engaging Canine Educators team of Beagles and Labrador Retrievers and their handlers helped energize giving to the college as they greeted people crossing the Memorial Mall.

By the end of the 2024 Purdue Day of Giving, the College of Veterinary Medicine had received more than $3 million in new gifts and funding commitments. Other PDoG highlights for the college included:

A top ten finish on the PDoG Leaderboard for total dollars raised, which put the college in sixth place overall.
An eighth-place finish on the “Meet the Challenge” PDoG Leaderboard, representing a 14% increase in overall donor participation compared to 2023.
A total of 263 unique gifts received from PVM donors.

“It was inspiring to see so many members of the PVM community taking time out of their busy schedules to celebrate the day or offer support while stopping by the Advancement Office in Lynn Hall or hanging out with the Canine Educators on Memorial Mall,” said Mackenzie Martin, PVM director of client development, who helped coordinate Day of Giving details for the college. “PVM’s success that day in boosting the number of gifts contributed compared to last year’s Day of Giving resulted in the college receiving more than $4,000 in bonus funds!”

Canine Educator Bailey stayed close to his care team member, Allison Holahan of the DVM Class of 2025, during the brisk morning conditions on the Purdue Day of Giving.

It also was a historic fundraising day for Purdue University, with a record 32,054 gifts contributed in the 24-hour period, totaling $76.5 million. The Purdue Day of Giving encompassed all of the university’s campuses as well as Purdue Global. In addition to the money raised from donors, participating programs competed for cash prizes through more than 30 different challenges. Click here to view a PDoG recap that includes access to the leaderboards showing top finishers for the various Purdue Day of Giving challenges.

Following the history-making one-day fundraising effort, Purdue President Mung Chiang said, “As we celebrate the culmination of yet another remarkable Purdue Day of Giving, we are ever grateful for the extraordinary generosity of Boilermakers around the globe.” With the benefit of this year’s record-breaking giving level, the Purdue Day of Giving since its launch in 2014 has raised a cumulative total of $497 million.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we are highlighting Rebecca Hoffman, BS, RVT, who is a veterinary technologist with the Bovine Field Service.

Learning Specialist Joins PVM Student Success Center Team

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Student Success Center is pleased to welcome Kelsey Luse Spille, who joined the team Monday, November 4, as a learning specialist. In her new role, she will be supporting students with their academic needs while also serving as a member of the Veterinary Education Support Team (VEST), which assists faculty in developing inclusive teaching practices.

Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine Hosts Reception to Welcome New Dean Bret Marsh

Faculty, staff and students gathered at a reception in the Veterinary Medical Library Friday, November 8, to help extend a warm welcome the new dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Bret Marsh. The event marked the conclusion of the first week on the job for Dr. Marsh, who just started in the role Monday, November 4, after wrapping-up 30 years of service as Indiana State Veterinarian – the state’s top-ranking animal health leader.

Awareness Week to Shine Spotlight on Antimicrobial Resistance Next Week

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing, significant One Health issue across the world. The WHO estimates that AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths and contributed to 4.95 million deaths, with additional significant economic costs. AMR affects all countries and all income groups, and to tackle this urgent problem, researchers, producers, and practitioners from all areas must address the critical shortage of new antimicrobial drugs, and the use of antimicrobial drugs in medicine, farming, and industry. The week of November 18-24 is US Antibiotic Awareness Week and World AMR Awareness Week, and the College of Veterinary Medicine is taking advantage of these national and global campaigns to raise awareness about AMR and antimicrobial stewardship, and to highlight some of the research and practices being conducted at the college to address AMR.

PVM Faculty Honored for Research Success with Purdue Seed for Success Acorn Awards

When Purdue University’s Office of Research honored the accomplishments and innovative ideas of a host of researchers this week, several Purdue Veterinary Medicine scholars were among those recognized. At a ceremony Wednesday, November 14, in the Purdue Memorial Union North and South Ballrooms, the annual Seed for Success Acorn Awards were presented to Purdue Principal Investigators (PIs) and co-PIs who secured research awards of $1 million or more for a single proposal in fiscal year 2024.

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Brain

Despite more than six decades of research in the field of neuroscience, many functions of the brain — the most complex organ in the human body — remain a mystery. Recent research conducted in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Bindley Bioscience Center revealed that scientists are one step closer to understanding the process that activates and deactivates specific proteins within our cells. This breakthrough could one day lead to enhanced treatments that may slow down or perhaps reverse the advance of neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis.