The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine today announced plans to launch a new phase of its veterinary medical complex - made possible by philanthropic gifts totaling $110.5 million to date. The expansion will help address the critical veterinary workforce shortage, expand patient care and support cutting-edge research in cancer, translational medicine and other key areas of biomedical science.
The project includes a new veterinary education pavilion, primary care hospital, equine hospital, veterinary cancer center, spay-neuter clinic and raptor center, all to be completed within 10 years. This next phase builds upon a successful series of facility projects since 2016 that have continued to modernize and expand the capabilities of veterinary medicine.
Chancellor Gary S. May underscored the importance of the expansion for future generations of veterinarians.
"UC Davis researchers are at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries improving care for animals and humans," May said. "As a global leader in veterinary treatment and research, it's our responsibility to ensure that care and compassion extend as far as possible."
Today the school also celebrated the opening of a new All Species Imaging Center transforming the capabilities for diagnostic imaging of both small and large animals. Other specialty areas such as the Advanced Veterinary Surgery Center (opened in 2024) and Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center (opened January 2025) were also part of the veterinary medical complex buildout. All components were fully or largely funded by philanthropy.
Donor support drives expansion
As part of the $110.5 million received to date, the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation awarded the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine a $50 million challenge grant that was invested in the All Species Imaging Center, the new equine hospital, the new veterinary educational pavilion and primary care hospital.
"We are truly grateful to our philanthropic partners who contributed to this project," Mark Stetter said, dean and professor of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. "The expansion of our veterinary medical complex lays the foundation for a future without limits - a place where innovation, healing and discovery come together to transform the lives of animals and people alike."
Training more veterinarians, advancing animal care
The construction of the veterinary education pavilion will allow the school to admit more students while meeting accreditation standards. By expanding class sizes, the total number of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students will increase from 600 to 800.
The leading-edge clinical and hospital facilities will boost annual patient capacity from 50,000 to 70,000. The complex will also provide new spaces for advancing veterinary health research and treatments, propelling the expansion of translational medicine that holds the promise of new treatments for human health.
As the school celebrated and honored the generosity of its many contributors at a public event on Sept. 18, it noted that this new phase of expansion is a giant step forward in a larger effort to seek additional philanthropic and public support to make a transformational impact on veterinary health.
