The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine community is celebrating the inclusion in the state budget of $70 million for expanding and renovating the college’s Large Animal Hospital to include a new Equine Veterinary Center to better serve horses and livestock. The budget also includes money to increase the number of students the college can accept in each veterinary class.

“We are so grateful for the support of the state of North Carolina as we move forward with this important construction project,” says Dr. Kate Meurs, dean of the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. “This new funding will allow us to provide cutting-edge care in a cutting-edge facility and to make sure our trainees know and have access to the most modern techniques as we continue to serve our community.”

With our research, diagnostics, hospital care and graduates in the field, the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine supports North Carolina’s food animal industry that contributed to the state’s $13.3 billion farm cash receipts in 2021. Almost 70% of the receipts involve livestock, dairy and poultry production.

“We are thrilled to see the Large Animal Hospital expansion gain budgetary approval,” says Dr. Anthony Blikslager, interim director of Veterinary Medical Services. “This could not come at a better time. We have been working toward developing state-of-the-art facilities over the last 20 years, and now we routinely fill our facility with patients from all over North Carolina. We desperately need new facilities for critical care and for managing patients from disease outbreaks from across the state.”

North Carolina’s equine industry adds more than $2 billion to the state’s economy each year and employs more than 25,000 people. Meurs says the new Equine Veterinary Center will allow NC State to continue playing its pivotal roles in providing specialty equine care on campus and training the majority of veterinarians who are central to the health of the more than 250,000 horses in the state

“Horses are a critical part of the agricultural industry here, as well as important family members for many people throughout the state,” Meurs says. “The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine has been proud to provide critical medical care for these animals when they need us most. This facility also will allow us to provide better care for goats, sheep and cows, too.”

Read the full article on the NC State Veterinary Medicine site here.