MADISON, Wis (SPECTRUM NEWS) — The University of Wisconsin appeared in a Superbowl ad over the weekend—  and it’s all thanks to man's best friend.

WeatherTech’s CEO, David MacNeil, says his golden retriever named Scout nearly died from a tumor on his heart. 

The 30-second spot about the lucky dog talks about how the 7-year-old dog bounced back to health following the heroic efforts of his UW Vet Oncology medical team.  

Forever grateful to the staff at the University of Wisconsin's Veterinary School—  MacNeil used his company's 7th Superbowl ad airtime — to inspire viewers to make a donation to the department.

“The time and the commercials in the excess of $6 million, why didn’t you just make a check out for $6 million?  I think we are gonna try to lever that $6 million into something much greater, and I think we are gonna have an impact on cancer and animals and hopefully people,’ MacNeil said.

Scout is currently undergoing additional radiation treatment for another cancer site, but doctors say his prognosis looks good.  This is the first time the University of Wisconsin has been featured in a Superbowl ad.