Cancer surviving dog to star in Super Bowl ad

The story of a golden retriever named Scout is a surefire bet to be a standout among the dozens of ads that will air during the Super Bowl on Sunday.

News 12 Staff

Jan 30, 2020, 4:37 PM

Updated 1,711 days ago

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The story of a golden retriever named Scout is a surefire bet to be a standout among the dozens of ads that will air during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
With sparkling eyes and the tail that always seems to be wagging, Scout, the 7-year-old golden retriever is ready for his shining moment.
Scout will star in a 30-second commercial by car accessories maker Weathertech. Company CEO David MacNeil is also his dad.
Unlike most CEOs, MacNeil wasn’t thinking about a typical budget Super Bowl ad featuring celebrities. "Most people know what we do, but what can we do that's going to have a bigger impact?"
Last summer, Scout collapsed from a cancerous tumor on his heart. The vets near MacNeil's home in Illinois told him there was no hope. "There he was in this little room standing in the corner, and he's wagging his tail at me and I'm like, I'm not putting that dog down. There's just absolutely no way," recalls MacNeil.
So MacNeil and Scout turned to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. "We throw aggressive therapy at aggressive cancers like Scout's," says David Vail, professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Scout went through chemotherapy and radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Vail says Scout handled everything like a trooper. "He's courageous, very sweet to work with. Scout, as I mentioned, was really the perfect patient."
To MacNeil’s great joy, Scout miraculously recovered. "The great result is, is that that giant tumor that made him collapse on a side of his heart, thanks to the University of Wisconsin, that tumor is virtually gone."
This Sunday, the CEO will ask viewers to help the researchers that saved his best friend's life. "I hope it has a positive impact on cancer for the animals and people all over the world."
He says he will be watching the big game with Scout by his side.