Grateful dog owners give vet school six-figure sum

A couple are to leave a six-figure sum to a vet school after the care given to their seriously-ill dog extended his life by more than eight years. Black Labrador Jet was diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis in his front legs when he was two-years-old. Owners Michael and Sue Dennis were told not to expect him to live very long. The retired couple believe the advice given by Edinburgh University's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies meant Jet lived to the age of 10.

Mr Dennis said: "We contacted the Dick Vet School and they were very keen to try and help us if they could, so we took Jet in to see them. We spoke to a great professor and he gave the dog a very thorough examination and spent a lot of time with us. We were very impressed with the care and attention that we had from the school. Although there was no medication prescribed, they did advise us on how to manage his lifestyle, with shorter walks, regular exercise and plenty of fun and attention.



"The dog lived until he was 10 and in the intervening eight years he had a very happy and reasonably active life." Mr Dennis, who lives near Ripon in North Yorkshire, said he decided to approach the university about Jet because of its high-profile work on Dolly the Sheep. He and his wife Sue, who are both in their 60s and currently own two rescue dogs, have now pledged a six-figure legacy to the school in return for what it did for their "delightful" pet, who died in 2008.

The money will be used to sponsor students who want to study veterinary medicine at Edinburgh but cannot afford to do so. "It was a very easy decision to make," said Mr Dennis, a former employee of high street retailer Marks and Spencer. "We were so impressed with the treatment and interaction that took place between the school, the people that work there and ourselves, that we wanted to perpetuate that."