Pleasanton's Workday Founder Gifts $1.5M To Help Save Pets

PLEASANTON, CA — Dave Duffield, who founded Pleasanton-based Workday, is known for his philanthropic activities on behalf of animals. Now he and his wife, Cheryl, have given Best Friends Animal Society a $1.5 million grant through their family foundation Maddie's Fund, it was announced Wednesday.

"Best Friends is incredibly grateful and excited to receive generous funding from Maddie’s Fund, which has been responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives through their innovative grants," said Julie Castle, CEO of nationwide Best Friends Animal Society.

The Duffields have endowed Maddie's Fund with more than $300 million in an effort to improve the lives of dogs and cats across the nation. The fund is named after Maddie, a Miniature Schnauzer who was part of the Duffield family for 10 years until her death in 1997 from cancer. She was a source of unconditional love and friendship, and a "lighthouse during the stormy period" of the couple's work careers, according to the Maddie's Fund website. Duffield has kept a promise he made to his pet: "If we ever make some money, I promise we will give it back to you and your kind so others can be as happy as we are today," the website states.

The current grant to Best Friends Animal Society will be used to expand the organization's "Shelter Outreach Embed Program," which is a project to ensure optimal outcomes for all sheltered animals. The project will take place in two phases: Phase one will zero in on the Texas Rio Grande Valley, where shelter kill rates are high. Phase two of the project will be determined in the coming months.