Eleven veterinary practices in North Carolina have been awarded grants of up to $25,000 each to support their work with large animals. The total funding of $123,500 was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2023 and is managed by the N.C. Ag Finance Authority.
The grant program is open to veterinarians working in one of the state’s 70 counties with populations under 100,000 who dedicate at least 30% of their patient care to large animals. The next round of applications will be accepted from August 1 through August 31.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said, “North Carolina, like many other states, has a deficit of large animal veterinarians. In many areas of the state, a single veterinarian may be the only option within 100 square miles. These funds can be used for repayment of educational loans related to the recipient’s veterinary degree, facility renovations, to purchase supplies, equipment or technology for use in the practice or any additional uses the advisory committee determines is helpful in promoting and developing large animal veterinarians.”
Each recipient received $11,227 from this grant cycle. The practices and individuals awarded are: Seven Spring Mobile Veterinary Services (Taylorsville), Derek L. Heizer (Snow Camp), Cowee Cowgirl Mobile Large Animal Veterinary Services (Franklin), DocTerra Mobile Veterinary Services (Vale), NC Mobile Veterinary Service (Enfield), Aimee Sink (Supply), Hoof and Horn Mobile Veterinary Services (Apex), Bovine Veterinary Solutions (Stony Point), Sullivan Mobile Veterinary Services (Vale), Jacklyn Porter (Cleveland) and Foothills Large Animal Hospital (Nebo).
Applications for future grants can be found online at https://fs4.formsite.com/QopHZM/v5bhn3g5x1/index. Additional information about the program is available through frequently asked questions or by contacting largeanimalvetgrants@ncagr.gov.
