Two dogs in need of surgery, Katy and Promise, were the inspiration behind the Katy Promise Fund. An anonymous benefactor paid for the two dogs to undergo surgeries at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center (VHC) that allowed them to return to full and pain-free lives. The donor, a CVM alumnus, then established the Katy Promise Fund to help additional animals. The fund provides financial resources for VHC patients that are in need of orthopedic procedures, but whose owners have limited means.
When Michael Opsomer, DVM ’88, a Springfield, Missouri, veterinarian and CVM alumnus, decided to make a gift to his alma mater, he chose the Katy Promise Fund to support because he said it allowed him to help animals that can’t help themselves. He credited his time at Mizzou with fortifying his sense of philanthropy.
“Without the education I received at MU, I would not be in a position to pay it forward,” he said of the influence Mizzou has had on his life.
Attending Mizzou allowed Dr. Opsomer to pursue his ambition of becoming a veterinarian, a goal he had held since adolescence. He encouraged his fellow Tigers never to give up on their own dreams.
“Dreams are attainable if you are willing to put in the work required to achieve them,” he said.