Support for livestock vets in North Carolina

Jul 24, 2024

Veterinarians can apply for grants up to $25,000

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Livestock veterinarians can apply for financial support to support their local practices.

The North Carolina General Assembly has set aside $125,000 in grants for large animal vets to use in multiple ways.

“These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient’s veterinary degree, to purchase equipment or technology for use in the practice or any additional uses the advisory committee determines is appropriate to promote and develop large animal veterinarians to practice in the designated counties,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in a statement.

Applicants can receive up to $25,000 in grants.

Veterinarians have until Aug. 16 to apply.

They must also meet specific requirements.

“The applicant must conduct business in a North Carolina county with a population of less than 100,000 people according to the latest 2020 census,” the application form says.

This would include counties like Alexander (pop. 36,473), Rutherford (pop. 65,507), Madison (pop. 22,071) and Wilson (pop. 78,970).

Those population figures are from 2023 from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

The applicant must (also) have at least 30 percent of its practice devoted to large animals according to Federal Standards.

North Carolina has taken steps to support the large animal vet industry.

In 2023, for example, the state budget allocated $70 million to expand and renovate NC State University’s Large Animal Hospital to include a new Equine Veterinary Center to care for horses and livestock.

Overall, the U.S. could be facing a significant shortage of veterinarians dedicated to large animals.

A 2022 study from Pawsome Advice, an online resource for pet topics, found that fewer veterinarians want to work with livestock.

That same research discovered that less than 10 percent of vet graduates take a rural job, and that there could be a shortage of 15,000 vets across the U.S., with most of those vacancies in rural communities.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

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