Virginia Grants Expand Large Animal Vet Care
Livestock and horse owners in Southern and Southwest Virginia can expect new veterinary services as multi-year funding rolls out.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Veterinary Medicine
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Should Virginia use state money to keep rural large animal veterinarians practicing?
Virginia's agriculture department and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded seven veterinarians a combined $890,000 in Large Animal Veterinary Grants to strengthen livestock care across the Commonwealth. Four VDACS recipients received $110,000 each, and three TRRC grants of $150,000 each target Southern and Southwest Virginia.
Why it matters
Large animal veterinarians are in short supply in Virginia and nationally, and farm families often wait longer for care as a result. The grants aim to keep veterinarians committed to their home communities and help their practices stay financially sustainable.
The VDACS grant program launched in 2025 and awarded four recipients $110,000 each this year. The TRRC program funded three grants of $150,000 each for Southern and Southwest Virginia, and all funds will be disbursed over a multi-year period.
The players
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS)
The state agency that administers consumer protection and agricultural programs, including the Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program that funds livestock veterinary practices.
Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission (TRRC)
The state commission that directs economic development funding to former tobacco-dependent regions, and which funded the Southern and Southwest Virginia veterinary grants.
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech
The veterinary school that named Dr. Thach Winslow as the Virginia Large Animal Veterinary Workforce Coordinator.
Dr. Thach Winslow
The newly named Virginia Large Animal Veterinary Workforce Coordinator who will work on keeping large animal care available statewide.
The details
Grant money will be used to hire veterinarians, purchase equipment, outfit mobile veterinary units, and expand haul-in capacity so animals can be brought to clinics. The VDACS grant specifically rewards veterinarians who mainly treat livestock, poultry, and equines for establishing or growing a sustainable large animal practice in Virginia. The TRRC program was created alongside it to increase veterinary services for livestock producers in Southern and Southwest Virginia.
Timeline
2025: The VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program launched.
2026: Seven veterinarians were awarded Large Animal Veterinary Grants.
Over a multi-year period: Grant funds are disbursed.
The Home Front
The grants extend the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission's regional investment model into rural livestock care, the same rural service gap that shapes access to veterinary care across the state. They sit alongside the newer VDACS Large Animal Veterinary Grant Program, which launched in 2025.
If you raise livestock, poultry, or horses in Virginia, check whether your county is in a region served by these new practices and note your local large animal veterinarian's contact information. Plan ahead for routine herd or flock care, since mobile units and expanded haul-in capacity may change how and when visits are scheduled.
The takeaway
Farm and livestock owners should keep a current large animal veterinarian's number on file and ask about haul-in or mobile service options before an emergency arises. Watching for announcements from VDACS and the TRRC can help you track where new practices open near you.
Further reading
For more on the field behind these awards, see Veterinary Medicine coverage on We are Home.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSLS.
Live Poll
Should Virginia use state money to keep rural large animal veterinarians practicing?
