arry Dee, D.V.M., seems an improbable advocate of UF College of Veterinary Medicine, as a graduate of Auburn University who built a nearly 50-year career in his family’s small animal hospital in south Florida. A closer look reveals prodigious support cultivated in his family roots, which led him to serve on the college’s advisory board and become a lifetime member of the Dean’s Circle of Excellence.

Though Dee received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, he attended UF for a year to gain preparatory animal sciences courses not available in his undergraduate program. At that time, Florida students seeking veterinary degrees had to look out of state. Under a regional program, Auburn had an agreement to take 20 students from Florida each year. After graduating from Auburn in 1969, Dee practiced in Lakeland under the mentorship of William F. Jackson, D.V.M., who led the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, before joining the family practice seven years later.

Dr. Larry Dee and his wife, Rita Dee.

In the years that followed, Dee, like his father, became a champion of the UF veterinary college through service and generous support. This year, he had a more meaningful legacy gift in mind. To honor his respected friend and longtime colleague, Michael Schaer, D.V.M., who retired from UF in 2012, Dee wanted to create the college’s first endowed professorship named for a veterinary college faculty member and dedicated to support a clinical faculty member.

Dee’s support followed a path first charted by his father, Clarence Dee, D.V.M., an Iowa native who pioneered veterinary medicine in Broward County where he built a premier animal hospital in 1947. A former president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, Clarence became a strong advocate and legislative supporter of the University of Florida establishing a veterinary college.

He and his classmate/brother-in-law, I.C. Frederickson, earned veterinary degrees from Iowa State University and moved to Miami to work for an Iowa State alumnus who practiced in the area.  It was after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII that Clarence returned to Hollywood to establish the Hollywood Animal Hospital in partnership with his brother-in-law.

In honor of his parents’ years of dedication to veterinary medicine in Florida, Dee in 1996 established the UF Clarence and Lucille Dee Scholarship, an endowed scholarship providing perpetual support for a third- or fourth-year student. Each year, the scholarship supports roughly a dozen students who are in the top 25 percent of their class.

As his father before him, Dee served as president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association and several national veterinary associations and foundations. He also contributed to his father’s initiative creating the Charlie Bild VIP Visiting Practitioners Program at UF to honor the late Charles Bild, D.V.M., a Miami veterinarian and a past president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

It was during a Ft. Lauderdale veterinary association meeting in 1974, that Dee met Michael Schaer, D.V.M., a first-time presenter who worked at New York City’s Animal Medical Center at the time. Their impactful connection formed a professional relationship through the years.

Dr. Michael Schaer, a professor emeritus of small animal emergency medicine, stands outside UF’s Small Animal Hospital on Aug. 6, 2020.

When Schaer joined the faculty at the UF veterinary college in 1978, their friendship and mutual respect grew as colleagues who shared a commitment to continuing education. Dee recommended and helped Schaer in building his speaking engagements at large professional meetings and importantly, with the FVMA.

“I came to Florida at a time when small animal medicine and surgery was exploding in new directions,” said Schaer. “It was a very exciting time.”

Now a professor emeritus, Schaer is still active at the college where he is proud to claim teaching internal medicine and emergency and critical care to every student since the inaugural class of 1980.

As Dee approached retirement in 2017, the family sold the practice to Veterinary Corporation of America, though he continued to work part time for several more years. Through his most recent gift he wanted to pay forward his many years of veterinary practice in Florida through his enduring support for UF Veterinary Medicine.

Together with his wife, Rita, Dee established the Michael Schaer Professorship in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. Their $1 million endowment will provide perpetual support for a clinical faculty member associated with the department of small animal clinical sciences and works with the emergency and critical care service at UF’s Small Animal Hospital.

“The dedication and zeal Mike Schaer had for students and their fondness for him, spanning more than 40 years, was evidenced by his nickname “Uncle Mikey,” said Dee. “He epitomized good, quality veterinary medicine.”

Larry Dee seems an improbable advocate of UF College of Veterinary Medicine, as a graduate of Auburn University who built a nearly 50-year career in his family’s small animal hospital in south Florida. A closer look reveals prodigious support cultivated in his family roots, which led him to serve on the college’s advisory board and become a lifetime member of the Dean’s Circle of Excellence.

Though Dee received his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, he attended UF for a year to gain preparatory animal sciences courses not available in his undergraduate program. At that time, Florida students seeking veterinary degrees had to look out of state — the closest states with veterinary colleges being Alabama and Georgia. He learned that Auburn University offered scholarships to Florida students. After completing his veterinary education there in 1969, Dee joined his father and uncle’s veterinary practice as did his brothers, James and Jon.

Dee’s support followed a path first charted by his father, Clarence Dee, D.V.M., an Iowa native who pioneered veterinary medicine in Broward County where he built a premier animal hospital in 1947. A former president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, Clarence became a strong advocate and legislative supporter of the University of Florida establishing a veterinary college.

He and his classmate/brother-in-law, I.C. Frederickson, earned veterinary degrees from Iowa State University and moved to Miami to work for an Iowa State alumnus who practiced in the area.  It was after serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII that Clarence returned to Hollywood to establish the Hollywood Animal Hospital in partnership with his brother-in-law.

In honor of his parents’ years of dedication to veterinary medicine in Florida, Dee in 1996 established the UF Clarence and Lucille Dee Scholarship, an endowed scholarship providing perpetual support for a third- or fourth-year student. Each year, the scholarship supports roughly a dozen students who are in the top 25 percent of their class.

As his father before him, Dee served as president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association and several national veterinary associations and foundations. He also contributed to his father’s initiative creating the Charlie Bild VIP Visiting Practitioners Program at UF to honor the late Charles Bild, D.V.M., a Miami veterinarian and a past president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Michael Schaer chats with students on their emergency medicine clinical rotation on Aug. 6, 2020.

It was during a Ft. Lauderdale veterinary association meeting in 1974, that Dee met Michael Schaer, D.V.M., a first-time presenter who worked at New York City’s Animal Medical Center at the time. Their impactful connection formed a professional relationship through the years.

When Schaer joined the faculty at the UF veterinary college in 1978, their friendship and mutual respect grew as colleagues who shared a commitment to continuing education. Dee recommended and helped Schaer in building his speaking engagements at large professional meetings and importantly, with the FVMA.

“I came to Florida at a time when small animal medicine and surgery was exploding in new directions,” said Schaer. “It was a very exciting time.”

Now a professor emeritus, Schaer is still active at the college where he is proud to claim teaching internal medicine and emergency and critical care to every student since the inaugural class of 1980.

As Dee approached retirement in 2017, he sold his practice to Veterinary Corporation of America, though he continued to work part time for several more years. Through his most recent gift he wanted to pay forward his many years of veterinary practice in Florida through his enduring support for UF Veterinary Medicine.

Together with his wife, Rita, Dee established the Michael Schaer Professorship in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Medicine. Their $1 million endowment will provide perpetual support for a clinical faculty member associated with the department of small animal clinical sciences and works with the emergency and critical care service at UF’s Small Animal Hospital.

“The dedication and zeal Mike Schaer had for students and their fondness for him, spanning more than 40 years, was evidenced by his nickname “Uncle Mikey,” said Dee. “He epitomized good, quality veterinary medicine.”