Inspired by One Dog’s Care, This Gift Helps Many More
Tom and Olivia McDonough
Olivia and Tom McDonough were worried as they drove from their Cape Cod home to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Their 12-year-old golden retriever, Sophie, had been referred to Tufts specialists by their veterinarian, Tom Burns, D.V.M., V00, A28P, after an ultrasound showed a tumor on her liver.
On duty that day at Foster Hospital for Small Animals was internist Mary Labato, D.V.M., DACVIM, V83, who approached Sophie’s guarded prognosis with follow-up tests and recommendations. After a Foster Hospital for Small Animals surgeon successfully removed the mass, Labato saw Sophie through recovery, sending her home with a clean bill of health and a high quality of life for two years after the surgery.
Sophie, two days post-op and ready to go home.
Labato’s attentive and compassionate care in 2022 not only eased the McDonoughs’ fears, but also left an indelible impression. “The best way to describe her role is that she was a quarterback,” said Tom. “She was our Tom Brady,” agreed Olivia. “We were absolutely thrilled by what she did for Sophie and for us.”
Their appreciation is reflected in their most recent donation to help support the development of a center of clinical excellence in nephrology and urology led by Labato, Anne Engen and Belle Term Professor in Clinical Nephrology and associate chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences. The cornerstone of their recent support is the Thomas and Olivia McDonough Fellowship that will help train a new specialist faculty member with an interest in nephrology under Labato to grow the team at Foster Hospital. Nicole Gibbs, D.V.M., is the recently named recipient of the fellowship.
The McDonoughs also provided funds to purchase the latest plasma apheresis helping pets recover from ingested toxins. They also provided a matching gift challenge that has now successfully secured funding for a new dialysis machine to replace the old one that started the service many years ago. “I am overwhelmingly honored and grateful to be recognized for something I love doing, which is taking care of my patients,” said Labato.
The ability to directly influence care for pets resonates with Olivia McDonough’s pragmatic approach to giving. For many years she fostered rescue dogs, and currently she and her husband have two rescues, a Newfoundland and a golden retriever. (Sophie died in 2023 of causes unrelated to cancer.) One of their other meaningful gifts to Cummings School supports the work of Tufts at Tech Community Veterinary Clinic, in Worcester Technical High School, which provides services to low-income pet owners.
“It’s important for us that our gift has a direct impact on saving an animal’s life,” said Olivia. “It’s our way of being a voice for the voiceless.”
“We’re blessed to be in this position to help others,” added Tom, who shares a modest working-class background with his wife. “We never forgot our roots, and we’re always ready to give back. It’s the right thing to do.”