Gift, Grant Aid Veterinary Oncology, Counseling at Colorado State

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University received a gift and grant to enable it to serve better both animals and their human companions.

Aaron Harber, president and CEO of Centre Entertainment Inc. of Boulder, gave $10,000 to support oncology services at Colorado State’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In addition, the Frederick H. Leonhardt Foundation provided a $1,261 grant to help upgrade facilities at the hospital’s pet companion counseling program.

Harber made his donation to Dr. Stephen Withrow, chief of oncology services at Colorado State’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The gift will support oncology research pioneered by Withrow and his colleagues at the hospital, where Harber and his wife have had dogs treated. Harber, who coordinated the fundraising, thanked the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet Network and PETsMART, who raised the money from proceeds and related contributions from the feature film "Legend of the Spirit Dog." He and his wife, who raises guide dogs, plan to work with the companies to raise further funds for animal oncology research.

The Frederick H. Leonhardt Foundation, recently relocated to Albuquerque, N.M., funded equipment needed to teach students in the Vet Teaching Hospital’s Changes program. The program provides comprehensive, on-site pet owner support at the hospital and trains veterinary students throughout all four years of their professional education. The Leonhardt Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in the West and Southwest that support families, innovative education, the well-being of animals as well as humans and preventive health care.