Large Animal Veterinary Grants Support Livestock Care in Virginia

Large Animal Veterinary Grants Support Livestock Care in Virginia

Second year of grant funding approved by General Assembly

Richmond, Va. - Grant funding applications are now open for large animal veterinarians looking for financial support to serve livestock owners in the Commonwealth.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) opened the VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program application period on July 15, 2026, for applications from large animal veterinarians who provide veterinary services for livestock, poultry, or equines. This is the second year of the program.

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 (TRRC) is working alongside VDACS to further extend large animal veterinarian incentives in Southern and Southwest Virginia. Up to three applicants from the pool will be awarded Tobacco Commission grants up to $150,000 over five years to practice in TRRC service areas. The deadline for applications to be considered for all grants is Sept. 1, 2026.

"We're proud of the positive impact the VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program is already having in the Commonwealth's rural communities," said Dr. Charlie Broaddus, State Veterinarian. "We saw in the first year of the program in 2025 how many deserving candidates we have who are committed to practicing large animal veterinary care in the Commonwealth, and we're pleased the General Assembly has approved these funds for a second year."

There is a national shortage of large animal veterinarians, who face financial sustainability challenges like education and practice start-up costs, staff retention, equipment and medication, and travel costs across rural areas. In 2025, four large animal veterinarians in Luray, Galax, Rockbridge Baths, and Suffolk, Va., received funds from VDACS. Three veterinarians in Scott County, Galax, and Gretna, were awarded funds from TRRC.

"Virginia is an amazing place to live and practice. I feel very supported in my state and this grant money is absolutely being used to strengthen practices and allow growth and sustainability in my practice," said 2025 VDACS grant recipient Dr. Sherri Gard of Suffolk, Va. "The grant money is not enough to sustain someone in large animal practice, but this funding is allowing me to take steps towards sustainability. This funding is being utilized to make changes to increase my footprint in the Commonwealth and to lay the foundation for an increase in services to the animals and people in my region."

The Large Animal Veterinary Grant was established by the General Assembly in 2025 in response to a multi-year effort from stakeholders like VDACS, TRRC, the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Farm Bureau Federation, to assess potential solutions to stabilize the number of large animal veterinarians in the Commonwealth. With agriculture being Virginia'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.

"I am thrilled to see this innovative and effective program continue for another year and I'd like to thank Dr. Broaddus and our partners at VDACS for helping to make it such a success," said TRRC Chairman, Delegate Will Morefield. "Our farmers have been clear about the need for increased access to large animal veterinary services and we are proud that our program is directly addressing their concerns in Southern and Southwest Virginia, while also coordinating with this statewide effort to maximize the overall impact of both efforts."

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.

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 TRRC, the Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Farm Bureau, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Academy of Food Animal Practitioners, and Virginia Veterinary Medical Association.

Both grant programs are assisted by the Virginia Large Animal Veterinary Workforce Coordinator, a new position at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech that is being jointly funded by Virginia Cooperative Extension and TRRC. Serving in this new role is Dr. Thach Winslow, who will work across the state to grow and sustain the community of veterinarians in large animal practice.

The deadline for grant applications is Sept. 1, 2026. 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.