Black Labradors are woven into the fabric of Joe and Kirsten Stasney’s lives. Retired and living on Minnesota’s North Shore, their dogs are constant companions inside the house and out on the area’s hiking trails and shoreline. 

“It’s like dog heaven,” Joe says. “They love swimming in the lake. There are nice woods to walk around and hunt in—all of our dogs have just loved being outside and doing that kind of stuff.”

Kiply and her mother, Dandie, are currently enjoying life on the shore with the couple, but throughout their time together, the Stasneys have welcomed seven Labs into their home. They’ve kept Kirsten company when she used to work from home and have traveled with the couple on every vacation. 

“They’ve been with us through everything,” Kirsten says. 

Two of their dogs in particular, happy-go-lucky Gizzi and mischievous Jager, sparked something special. Both Labs underwent surgical procedures at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center during their lifetimes. The compassionate care provided to their pets by staff and students at the hospital inspired the Stasneys to give back in a way that they hope will save pet lives and help the next generation of veterinarians. 

They have set up a charitable bequest in their will that will support student scholarships as well as small animal surgery educational opportunities and research. They see it as paying forward the gift of the improved health and quality of life that Gizzi and Jager received from their respective surgical procedures. 

“We'd like to give back, and we'd like to give back where it can make a difference,” Kirsten says.  “It’s giving to people who have pets that are like family members and want to be able to care for them. It’s for the veterinary profession to bring people in and do research, to do procedures that are less invasive or that are on the cutting edge, and to create opportunity for veterinary students, as they're being trained, to learn from surgeries.”

The Stasneys first came to the VMC in 2016, when then-4-year-old Gizzi tore her ACL in one of her hindlimbs. Under the care of now-retired veterinary surgeon Betty Kramek, Gizzi’s injury was treated surgically through a procedure called tibial plateau levelling osteotomy. The tibial plateau is the flat part at the top of the tibia (shin bone) where the femur (thigh bone) rests, forming the knee joint. To treat the ACL tear, the surgery stabilizes the joint by changing the angle of the tibial plateau and realigning bone surfaces within the knee using a metal plate. 

After extensive rehabilitation at home, Gizzi was back in action and living up to her namesake, Gizhiiyaase, which is Ojibwe for “swift runner.” Then two years later, the ACL in her other hindlimb tore, and it was back to the VMC where Kramek performed the same surgery.

In the six years she lived after the second surgery, Joe says Gizzi never experienced another issue with either knee. 

Gizzi’s second surgery wasn’t the Stasneys' first trip to the VMC in 2018. Their other Lab at the time, Jager, suddenly began vomiting and experiencing diarrhea that March. Medical imaging taken during one of her initial veterinary visits showed a mass the size of a softball on her liver. 

Jager was referred to the VMC, and the family was once again under the care of Betty Kramek. 

“Betty laid it all out,” Joe recalls. “She told us there's a good chance Jager won't make it off the operating table. But the flip side was with that large of a tumor and where it was located, it was say goodbye to her or take the risk. We took the risk.”

Kramek led a team of surgeons and students through a complicated procedure to remove the liver mass. Once the mass was out, Jager’s medical woes weren’t over. The surgical team conducted an abdominal exploration during the procedure and discovered another mass on her adrenal gland.

Jager was given time to recover from her initial surgery before heading back to the VMC for a second procedure to remove her adrenal tumor. The tumor’s tricky location near a large vein known as the vena cava had prompted Kramek to pursue its removal in a separate surgery rather than during Jager’s liver mass removal. This procedure also proved a success, and the tumor was fully excised from the gland. 

Gizzi and Jager lived for years after their surgeries, both eventually succumbing to kidney disease. The expertise and compassion that drove their excellent care at the VMC are something the Stasneys are forever grateful for and hope to advance with their philanthropy. 

“While interacting with all the students at the hospital, you see the talent that’s been brought out in this field,” Joe says. “We’re happy to be able to provide a scholarship fund to help these veterinary students focus on their careers.”

When structuring their charitable bequest, the Stasneys spoke at length with Kramek, who advised on where funds would have the greatest effect on student scholarships, clinical experiences, and research opportunities. Gifts such as these heavily impact the ability to innovate and train the next generation, says Wanda Gordon-Evans, who heads the VMC’s small animal Surgery, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation services.

“Generous donations like the Stasneys’ contribute to the ability of students to perform research projects or delve deeper into subjects in which they may want to specialize, they allow the purchase of equipment that leads to innovation and improving patient care, and clinical trials that directly affect decision making and push veterinary medicine forward allowing us to treat patients more effectively,” she says. “What many donors don't realize is how much their gift is a catalyst for the students and specialties that receive the gift. These veterinarians continue to pay it forward in knowledge and expertise, benefiting future veterinarians and their patients.”