WeatherTech CEO buys $6 million Super Bowl ad to thank vets who saved beloved dog’s life

MADISON, Wis. — The CEO of the car liner company WeatherTech received horrible news about his beloved dog Scout. The golden retriever had only a month to live after a veterinarian found the 7-year-old dog had cancer -- specifically a tumor on his heart, the company said.

The diagnosis came after the dog collapsed, WMTV reported.

Scout is not only David MacNeil’s pet, but he’s also the company’s unofficial mascot.

MacNeil took a chance and took Scout to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison. He had only a 1% chance of survival, but with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, Scout is still live today, WMTV reported.

To thank the school, MacNeil is paying for a $6 million Super Bowl ad to show his appreciation and hopes that those who see and hear about the spot will donate to the veterinary school’s research.

But there may be more hope from the work that the veterinary scientists do. Their cancer research could be translated to humans as doctors use the research done on animal cancer treatments to help advance research and treatments in people, WMTV reported.

The spot will air Sunday during the Super Bowl and will feature not only Scout, but also the University of Wisconsin staff and faculty who helped save his life, university officials said.

Cancer, according to the school, “is the number one cause of illness and death in the aging dog population.”

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