WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine and HOPE celebrate grand opening of the Hyla Marrow Feline Surgical Suite

Through a generous donation from Helping Out Pets Everyday (HOPE) on behalf of The Hyla Marrow Trust, Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Veterinary Medicine opened the Hyla Marrow Feline Surgical Suite, which will provide high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter training to third and fourth-year veterinary students. The goal is to reduce shelter overcrowding and euthanizations while educating future competent and compassionate veterinarians.

WesternU held a grand opening of the Hyla Marrow Feline Surgical Suite on March 13, 2025 in the WesternU Pet Health Center in Pomona, California. Among the guests were HOPE President Margaret Coffman and about 20 HOPE volunteers.

“To see this surgical suite become a reality is a dream come true for our organization,” Coffman said. “We are indebted to the Hyla Marrow Trust for providing HOPE with the funds to establish this state-of-the-art suite.”

She also thanked CVM Associate Professor Frank Bossong, DVM, CVM Dean John Tegzes, MA, VMD, Dipl. ABVT, WesternU Pet Health Center (PHC) Veterinary Technician Manager Annette Chavarria-Marron, RVT, CVM Associate Professor and PHC Director David Clark, DVM, DABVP, and all the PHC staff.

“This is personal. I believe each of us is sent into the world with a special message to deliver, with a special song to sing for others, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak this message, sing this song, or offer this act of love,” Coffman said. “I know Hyla is looking down and smiling at all the beloved cats her generous gift will provide for so many of them to help reduce the cat overpopulation and senseless euthanasia of thousands of cats in our local shelters.”

Hyla Marrow was an accomplished gymnast and dancer who went on to have a successful career as a stunt woman and actress. Since her passing in 2016, the Hyla Marrow Trust has supported more than 60 organizations that help homeless cats find medical care and forever homes.

“This was a woman who really dedicated her life to the livelihood of cats,” Dean Tegzes said. “I never met her myself, but I know that through her estate planning she wanted her wealth to provide care for cats. I just want to express my appreciation for that.”

Dedicating space for cats is needed, Tegzes said. Cats are predators, but they are also prey for animals like dogs. When they go into a veterinary clinic and they hear, smell or sense dogs around, they go into that prey mode where they feel intense stress as they might feel in the presence of a predator.

“And the stress reaction that cats experience is physiologically extreme. It could have devastating effects on their disease and recovery process. It can also have devastating effects on their behavior,” Tegzes said. “So finally we are recognizing this and providing their own space for veterinary care and surgery.”

Dr. Bossong thanked Frank Heller and Susan Siegel of HMC Surgical for attending the opening and for donating the surgical equipment for the Hyla Marrow Feline Surgical Suite. HMC Surgical has contributed many surgical instruments to CVM dating back more than a decade, and Frank and Susan regularly visit campus and sponsor Veterinary Surgery Club events, Bossong said.

Opening the surgical suite came together quickly and serendipitously. CVM and HOPE have worked together since 2005, with CVM students and faculty providing care to HOPE patients in CVM’s Veterinary Ambulatory Community Service (VACS) vehicles. Coffman was introduced to Rita Topalian from The Hyla Marrow Trust in April 2024. Coffman then worked with Bossong on a proposal to present to The Hyla Marrow Trust, and the funding was approved by October 2024.

“Now it’s March and because of everyone’s willingness to help – so many people volunteered just to step in – we’ve already done some surgeries,” Bossong said. “And when you all leave today, I wore scrubs because we have surgeries scheduled this afternoon. So we’re really putting the room to work very quickly.”

WesternU President Robin Farias-Eisner, MD, PhD, MBA, said this surgical suite reflects the University’s humanistic philosophy of addressing the whole body, mind and spirit of the patient, rooted in the osteopathic tenets.

“What’s being done here is truly unique and innovative,” Farias-Eisner said. “And to respect our non-human patients in the same way that we, of course, have to respect our human patients is really a game changer and that’s providing an incredible community service.”