Ten percent of counties in Arkansas lack veterinarians, a shortage that has had a profound impact on companion animal owners, livestock and poultry operations, and veterinarians. On Thursday (June 12), Lyon College took a step towards addressing this issue, holding the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine in Cabot.
Lyon College officials, state and local leaders, and members of the Arkansas veterinary medicine community gathered to celebrate this milestone for both the college and the state of Arkansas.
Currently, if Arkansas students want to become veterinarians, they must leave the state to earn their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, with many going to bordering states and never returning to Arkansas.
However, students who seek a veterinary education in Arkansas will no longer have to cross state lines to do so.
“This school will train the next generation of veterinarians right here at home. Arkansans serving Arkansans,” said Speaker of the House Brian Evans, R-Cabot.
WDD Architects and Baldwin and Shell Construction Company will design and construct the project, which will span over 14 acres and feature more than 100,000 square feet of educational and clinical space. The building will be located along Highway 67 next to the City of Cabot Animal Support Services.
Cabot Mayor Ken Kincade said he immediately saw the vision not only of education, but also economic development, health, and opportunity when a veterinary school was first discussed.
“This groundbreaking today represents something much larger than a building. It represents a leap forward for this city, for Central Arkansas and for our state,” he said.
Lyon College President Dr. Melissa Taverner addressed the pressing need for more veterinarians across Arkansas, specifically in rural and underserved areas.
“We know that animal health is deeply connected to public health, food security and economic vitality, and we know that we can meet those needs in a distinctly Lyon way with high standards, an emphasis on service and a commitment to excellence that runs deep in our culture,” said Taverner.
The veterinary school will be co-located by the local animal shelter, Cabot Animal Support Services, a strategic choice that will allow for students to gain real world experience.
“It’s going to bring unbelievable capabilities for our school and assets for our students. It actually attracted the Katharine Reese Shelter Medicine and Animal Welfare Program, which is going to differentiate us and be a model for how veterinarians and communities and shelter programs work together for the health of animals and people and their welfare,” said Dr. Eleanor Green, founding dean of the school.
The program was funded by an $11 million gift from the Arkansas Animal Rescue Foundation, which will expand access to shelter medicine services and give students hands-on experience with real-world animal health needs.
Pending accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, the Lyon College School of Veterinary Medicine plans to seat its inaugural class in 2026.
“Our city will see new jobs, increased demand for local services and a boost to our economy, said Mike Wheeler, director of community services for the city of Cabot. “This is not just growth, it’s momentum, a ripple effect that will engage, energize, and open new doors for businesses and will help write a brighter economic chapter for our community.”
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