Meet the Boisfontaines: 2023 Canines, Cats and Cabernet Chairs
Curt and Tanya Boisfontaine’s journey to Operation Kindness started with a dog named Tut. Named after King Tutankhamun, Tut was known for having the intelligence and personality of his namesake. Then everything changed. At the young age of five, Tut was diagnosed with an untreatable form of cancer.
As the founder of Meridian since 1994, Curt Boisfontaine’s primary investment focus was on the human health care space. It wasn’t until Tut’s untimely passing that Boisfontaine became interested in the veterinary healthcare industry. He was interested in participating in the advancement of pet healthcare by providing state of the art care facilities for animal healthcare providers. During Tut’s final care, it came as a shock to the family that the nearest specialty hospital for Tut’s necessary treatments was in Lewisville, Texas.
A Lifesaving Vet Clinic Comes to Dallas
Under Curt’s leadership, Meridian soon set out to build a MedVet veterinary hospital in central Dallas to serve animals in need in the Park Cities and East Dallas area of Dallas. To memorialize and honor Tut’s life and to celebrate the completion of Meridian’s first investment in veterinary real estate, the Boisfontaines commissioned the creation of Tut’s likeness with Dallas sculptor Brad Oldham. Tut’s statue now stands guard 24/7 in front of the MedVet Veterinary Hospital on North Central Expressway at Northaven.
Meridian affiliates now own multiple veterinary specialty hospitals, remaining very focused on the veterinary space with plans for further investments in 2023 and beyond.
Meridian and Meridian’s equity partners also now participate in the funding of research in cures for cancer and other diagnostic technologies for companion animals. Investing in studies led by Ethos Veterinary Partners and NVA, new aid is coming specifically for research into the cancer that caused Tut’s early death. Meridian now also funds FidoCure, which provides targeted medical oncology treatment protocols for dogs.
An investment has also been made in Lexagene Holdings, Inc., a company that has developed technology to detect and identify microorganisms quickly (taking detection time from days to hours) to allow veterinarians to quickly administer proper antimicrobial treatment to stem ever-increasing antimicrobial resistance. This technology is available at the point of care rather than the currently traditional use of reference laboratories which can take many days to provide results. This technology could change the way veterinarians identify bacteria that cause infections and the speed at which accurate targeted treatment is initiated.
Looking Forward to 2023 Canines, Cats and Cabernet
In addition to these lifesaving investments, the Boisfontaines make time to support the efforts of Operation Kindness, where Curt serves on the Board of Directors. Curt is very proud to serve on the board and contribute to the furtherance of Operation Kindness’ mission to find homes for pets and provide superior healthcare settings for them. The Boisfontaine family joins Canines, Cats and Cabernet as the 2023 event chairs, ready to outraise last year’s event income of almost $800,000. We know Tut will be present in spirit at the big event, where guests can eat, drink and take home a new companion from the event’s on-site adoption room.
Canines, Cats and Cabernet will be held Saturday, November 4, 2023, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Dallas. For more information, visit our event page.
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We rely on the generosity of our supporters to help create bright futures for pets in need. We couldn’t do this work without you. Thank you for caring about the animals.
