July 1, 2025

Grants Expand Opportunities for Large Animal Veterinarians in Virginia
~ New grants launched by VDACS and Tobacco Commission for up to six recipients ~

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced today that new grant funds are available to support large animal veterinarians practicing in Virginia.

The VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program application period opened July 1, 2025, for applications from large animal veterinarians who provide veterinary services for livestock, poultry, or equines. VDACS will provide four recipients with up to $110,000, disbursed over three years to support large animal veterinary services across the Commonwealth. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is working alongside VDACS to further extend large animal veterinarian incentives in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Up to two applicants from the pool will be awarded Tobacco Commission grants up to $150,000 over five years to practice in the South and Southwest. The deadline for applications to be considered for all grants is Sept. 1, 2025.

“Virginia’s agricultural industry stakeholders are working strategically together to address a shortage of large animal veterinarians, which are so important to farmers and rural communities in the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Charlie Broaddus, State Veterinarian . “The shortage is a national issue, with fewer veterinarians entering and staying in large animal practice than in other areas of veterinary medicine. We’re working at the state, regional, and local level to deliver flexible grant funding that can help veterinarians deliver long-term, effective care to communities across the Commonwealth.”

With agriculture as the Commonwealth’s largest private industry, the availability of large animal veterinarians in agricultural and rural regions is critical to the economy, farm operations, food safety, and animal health. Virginia is one of many states with an increasingly critical shortage of practicing large animal veterinarians. The Large Animal Veterinary Grant was established by the General Assembly in 2025 to designate resources to stabilize the number of large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth. The grant was developed during a multi-year effort from stakeholders like VDACS, the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, the Tobacco Commission, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, to assess the challenges of large animal veterinarians and propose solutions.

The grants can be used for a wide range of practice needs, including but not limited to equipment purchase, staff salary, student loan repayment, and service area travel expenses. Application requirements and other details can be found on the VDACS website at https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals-large-animal-veterinary-grant.shtml.

“In Virginia, we support our farmers and all those who help keep our food supply secure and safe,” said VDACS Commissioner Joseph Guthrie. “Delayed or inaccessible veterinary care leads to increased animal health risks and production losses. We hope this grant will recruit and retain the best and brightest large animal veterinarians to continue serving our communities with quality care well into the future.”

Grant recipients will be chosen by a panel of industry representatives using a standardized scoring rubric. The judging panel will include the State Veterinarian as well as representatives from the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Farm Bureau, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Academy of Food Animal Practitioners, Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission.

“The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission is proud to work with industry partners to invest in large animal veterinary services,” said Tobacco Commission Chairman, Delegate Will Morefield. “We welcome this opportunity to help new and established large animal veterinarians in our region to thrive long-term, and we hope to see even more integrated approaches to this challenge in the future.”

“Large animal veterinarians are integral to our farming communities and the security of our food supply chain,” said Virginia Farm Bureau President Scott Sink. “The VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant was developed as part of a lengthy study of the shortage of large animal veterinary services in Virginia, and we are pleased to see this grant come into effect. We hope this program provides meaningful support to the large animal veterinarians who need it.”

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech will support the efforts to expand large animal veterinary services by creating a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine position dedicated to coordinating the grant programs and supporting the state’s large animal veterinary workforce.

“In addition to promoting the new incentive programs, our new coordinator will develop a network of support among Virginia’s large animal veterinarians and work with livestock producers to improve herd outcomes and profitability,” said Dan Givens, Dean of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

The deadline for grant applications is Sept. 1, 2025. Complete details, contact information, and the application form can be found on the VDACS website at https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals-large-animal-veterinary-grant.shtml.