Nevada is getting its first doctor of veterinary medicine program after the state’s Board of Regents approved plans for a College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The approval came at the board’s June meeting, according to minutes from the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Regent John Boylan thanked UNR leadership for years of persistence on the project, calling the new school a vital addition for a state that has long struggled with a shortage of veterinarians.

Nevada currently has no in-state doctor of veterinary medicine program, which means dog owners often compete for appointments with veterinarians whose ranks have not kept pace with the state’s growing pet population.

Students interested in the field have historically had to leave Nevada for veterinary school, and many never return to practice in the state.

UNR officials hope the new program will change that by keeping homegrown veterinary students close to home through their graduate training.

UNR Provost Jeff Thompson has said the school would not open until roughly 2028 or 2029, pending accreditation, with a goal of graduating its first class of veterinarians by 2033.

The university requested state funding in two phases, roughly $1 million in the first year to hire a dean and staff to pursue accreditation, followed by about $5 million the following year to begin hiring faculty.

UNR is the second Nevada university to pursue a veterinary school in the past year.

Roseman University of Health Sciences in Henderson submitted its own letter of intent to the American Veterinary Medical Association for a proposed College of Veterinary Medicine, a project we previously covered in connection with a Las Vegas panel discussion on veterinary care and public health.

Nevada currently ranks near the bottom nationally in veterinarians per capita, and the shortage is especially severe in rural counties where access to basic pet care can be limited or nonexistent.

For Las Vegas Valley dog owners, more in-state training capacity could eventually mean shorter wait times and more veterinarians choosing to build their careers in Nevada rather than leaving after graduation.