Honoring Scout: Lifesaving Equipment for New Center
“I have had 12 Golden Retrievers, but Scout was truly the deepest soul of all. He had these beautiful brown eyes that always said, ‘I understand.’”
Shelley Perry lost her beloved dog Scout in 2025 when he was almost nine years old. Scout had been the runt of the litter when he was born, but lived his puppy years in health with Shelley in their San Diego home.
An Adventurer and Caregiver
Scout was an adventurer and caretaker through and through, Shelley said. Shelley and her family (children and grandchildren) live in the San Diego area and spend part of the year in the Lake Tahoe area, as well. Scout loved to play in the snow with the other Golden Retrievers that Shelley had over the years, always making sure that any grandchildren or children were within safe distance.
Scout was also champion swimmer, whether that was in the lake or in the family’s pool. Shelley recalled that when her grandchildren were younger, they would love to slide down a long slide into their pool. Scout would wait at the bottom of the slide for each grandchild, and then let the grandchildren hold on to his tail while he swam them to “safety” at the shallow end of the pool.
Shelley recalled the caregiver side of Scout, who loved it when a new grandchild was born and would visit their home. “Even when the grandbabies were tiny,” Shelley said, “Scout would go over to the blanket where they were sleeping and curl up next to them.”
A Diagnosis of Chance
When Scout was a year old, he had a minor issue that required veterinary care, including an ultrasound. By chance, the imaging caught that Scout had genetically malformed kidneys. He was referred to the UC Davis veterinary center in San Diego for follow-up care.
The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center, Southern California team got right to work, collaborating with Shelley to provide a treatment plan for Scout’s care.
“The team was so encouraging,” Shelley recalled. “They helped me realize how lucky we were that Scout’s disease was detected so early. Usually, kidney diseases go undetected until it is too late.”
Compassion, Care, Spirit
With Shelley’s permission, the team at the UC Davis veterinary center in San Diego also enrolled Scout in a research study, which was encouraging to her for many reasons – including the fact that the findings could help other dogs in the future.
For several years, Scout would go to the center every three months for a checkup. “I was so impressed by the sheer kindness and spirit of the people working at the center,” Shelley said. “From the front office, to the technicians, to the clinician specialists – I was so happy to have Scout in their care.”
Scout lived many healthy years, despite his kidney condition. Then, Shelley noticed a growth in one of his knees. Having had many other Golden Retrievers, she knew the issue required prompt veterinary care. Unfortunately, the tumor was cancerous and the cancer had already spread to Scout’s lungs. Shelley wanted the best for Scout, and he received radiation which helped to extend his life for several months.
Saying Goodbye
Shelley recalled that the UC Davis team provided incredible support during Scout’s cancer treatment, and still performed regular checkups for his kidneys. When he wasn’t feeling well enough to be brought to the back of the center, the team did the checkup in the front, assuring he was as comfortable as possible.
Scout loved and trusted everyone he met at the UCVMC-SD,” Shelley said. “It’s like he knew he was in good hands every time we visited the center.”
Over time, the cancer took over, and Shelley had to make the difficult decision to say goodbye. Shelley remarked that the UC Davis team had provided such outstanding care for Scout’s kidneys that they were still healthy, even to the end of his life.
“I miss Scout more than anything,” she said. “It has been a year, and my other dog Sully (who is Scout’s nephew) and I have held a lot of grief missing him.” Only recently, Shelley decided to add another Golden Retriever to their family, a puppy named Finn (who is a distant relative of Scout’s, as well).
A Gift with Promise
To honor Scout, and to express her gratitude for the UC Davis team, Shelley made a gift to purchase equipment for the center: a hemodialysis machine. Even though Scout never ended up requiring dialysis, Shelley wanted to provide equipment that would help the Hemodialysis and Urinary Disease service team. With hemodialysis, the UCVMC-SD’s clinicians can treat life-threatening acute kidney failure—as seen with antifreeze poisoning—and manage long-term renal conditions.
“Dialysis is often the only thing standing between a patient in acute kidney failure and a fatal outcome,” said Cedric Dufayet, DVM, the center’s service coordinator for advanced urinary diseases and extracorporeal therapies. “Our current machine has served this program well for years, but the technology has moved considerably. Newer platforms offer safety features and treatment precision that directly affect outcomes in our smallest and sickest patients. This gift lets us treat at the current standard of care rather than around the limitations of older equipment.”
Shelley misses Scout every day – still recalling his ability to understand her in a way that she never experienced with another dog. But her joy at having known he was cared for by the team at UC Davis helps her in times of sorrow.
Shelley’s “brave boy” Scout will be honored in the new center as the generous gift of equipment will be used every day for lifesaving care.
Learn more about the new UC Davis Hobbs Veterinary Center.
Support the center’s Gratitude in Action program.