Contact: Sammy McDavid
During a Wednesday [Jan. 31] program at Mississippi State University, officials of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Humane Society of the United States will announce a major gift to the college.
During a brief ceremony to begin at 10:30 a.m., HSUS Executive Vice President Andrew Rowan will present a check to Dean Kent Hoblet.
The grant will fund a special project designed to assist low-income pet owners, as well as those affected by Hurricane Katrina. It is modeled after the Rural Area Veterinary Services program, which provides community outreach veterinary services to underserved rural communities.
Among other things, the funds will be used to purchase equipment and supplies for a mobile veterinary clinic, which will enable veterinary students to gain valuable surgical experience while providing a needed service to Mississippi communities.
Based in Washington, D.C., HSUS has worked since 1954 to promote the protection of all animals. According to the society's Web site, current membership totals nearly 10 million.
Established in 1974, the College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 28 in the United States. Of veterinary practitioners now working in the Magnolia State, more than 50 percent are graduates of the college.
For more information on the program, telephone CVM development director Keith Gaskin at 662-325-3815.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.