Endowed Scholarship Fund Created at Iowa State

As featured in Gentle Doctor Magazine, Spring 2019, the alumni publication of Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine

The Doris Day Animal Foundation has established a new scholarship in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Doris Day/Terry Melcher Endowed Scholarship Fund will fund two scholarships annually for either a second, third or fourth-year veterinary student at Iowa State. The recipients will be active participants in the Feral Cat Alliance and/or the student chapter of the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.

The scholarship was announced by Dr. Bob Bashara, a 1963 DVM graduate of Iowa State and the chief financial officer of DDAF. Ms. Day is an American actress, singer and animal welfare activist. Her son, singer/songwriter Terry Melcher, died in 2004.

Bashara is a longtime advocare for animal welfare and a retired small-animal practicioner in Omaha, Nebr.

"Doris Day has always been a strong advocate for responsible veterinary care for pets, and that's one of the main reasons she and her son established scholarships for veterinary students with an interest in shelter medicine," Bashara said. "I am proud to continue the animal welfare legacy of Ms. Day."

The Doris Day Animal Foundation is a nonprofit charity with a mission to help animals and the people who love them.  DDAF funds nonprofit organizations across the United States that directly care for and protect animals. In addition to assisting numerous organizations with various programs such as spay/neuter, veterinary expenses, seniors programs, pet food pantries, wildlife rehabilitation and educational resources, DDAF also supports World Spay Day and the Doris Day Equine Center in Murchison, Tex.