Applicants can receive up to $25,000 in grants.
Veterinarians have until Aug. 16 to apply.
They must also meet specific requirements.
“The applicant must conduct business in a North Carolina county with a population of less than 100,000 people according to the latest 2020 census,” the application form says.
This would include counties like Alexander (pop. 36,473), Rutherford (pop. 65,507), Madison (pop. 22,071) and Wilson (pop. 78,970).
Those population figures are from 2023 from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.
The applicant must (also) have at least 30 percent of its practice devoted to large animals according to Federal Standards.
North Carolina has taken steps to support the large animal vet industry.
In 2023, for example, the state budget allocated $70 million to expand and renovate NC State University’s Large Animal Hospital to include a new Equine Veterinary Center to care for horses and livestock.
Overall, the U.S. could be facing a significant shortage of veterinarians dedicated to large animals.
A 2022 study from Pawsome Advice, an online resource for pet topics, found that fewer veterinarians want to work with livestock.
That same research discovered that less than 10 percent of vet graduates take a rural job, and that there could be a shortage of 15,000 vets across the U.S., with most of those vacancies in rural communities.