Fast approaching, Kentucky’s 2024 legislative session is — and atop Murray State University’s wish list is an accredited veterinary curriculum that takes pre-vet students through completion.
Proponents urge small and large animal science continues to be a major need for the Commonwealth, and stakeholders agreed during Monday’s Pennyrile Area Development District Luncheon & Legislative Update at Pennyrile Forest State Park — when they unanimously approved a resolution, calling for an endorsement of the initiative.
While its full scope would likely include the coalesced efforts of leadership in both Christian and Calloway counties, its impact could be far larger.
Dr. Brian Parr, dean for the Hutson School of Agriculture, called the move “more than a vet school.”
Several implements are already in place, including dual-credit opportunities, a world-class facility in Hopkinsville with the Breathitt Veterinary Center, as well as comprehensive pre-vet programming.
The resolution notes several key issues to date, including the fact that Kentucky currently doesn’t have a veterinary school, spends more than $5 million in a fiscal year for 160-plus out-of-state vet students, and that the country has a major veterinary shortage.
The resolution will be passed along to local governments and similar entities for consideration.
