ATHENS/TIFTON, Ga. — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Sept. 2 in an effort to address Georgia’s shortage of veterinarians in rural areas and the state’s food-animal agriculture sector.
The five-year agreement, signed at Tift Hall on the ABAC campus, establishes the Georgia Rural Practice Veterinary Incentive Program to create a pathway for undergraduate students interested in rural and food-animal veterinary medicine.
The program targets a growing shortage in specialized veterinary care.
According to statistics from the American Veterinary Medical Association, only 3.1% of the 90,219 clinical veterinarians in the United States were dedicated solely to food-animal practice in 2025, down from 3.4% in 2024.
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In Georgia, the shortage of food-animal and mixed-animal veterinarians presents an ongoing challenge for agricultural operations and rural farming communities.
Selected ABAC students in the program will receive specialized advising from an ABAC faculty member in the Animal Science track and mentoring from a UGA College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member specializing in food-animal medicine.
To qualify, applicants must be Georgia residents, demonstrate a strong interest in animal agriculture and complete their first full academic year in ABAC’s Animal Science track within the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major.
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ABAC President Dr. Tracy Brundage highlighted how the new program’s efforts are focused on long-term impacts for the state.
“Years from now, the success of today’s agreement will not be measured by the signatures on this memorandum,” Brundage said. “It will be measured by the students who choose to answer this calling. It will be measured by the veterinarians serving our rural communities, supporting Georgia agriculture and caring for the animals that sustain one of our state’s most important industries.”
Dr. Henry Young, UGA vice provost for academic and community engagement, said the collaborative effort would address local needs.
“This program represents a vital, collaborative partnership between ABAC and the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine,” Young said. “Together our institutions are addressing a critical, unmet need: the shortage of food-animal and mixed-animal veterinary services in rural Georgia.”
Maylee Barnes of Bartow, Ga., and Lainey Kate Harris of Folkston, Ga., are the first two students accepted into the initiative. Both students cited personal background experiences that guided them toward animal care.
Harris explained how an early experience with a family pet motivated her to pursue veterinary training.
“My love for animal care began with one of my family’s animals, a pot-belly pig named Rosie,” Harris said. “Rosie got in an accident with a neighbor’s dog and was really hurt. We went to my papa and he told us to put burnt motor oil on its back to help with the infection. That inspired me to learn as much as I can so I can provide better care for animals and not have to rely on homemade remedies.”
Barnes said that moving to her family’s farm shaped her career direction.
“I grew up in Florida but moved up to Georgia and my family’s farm during COVID,” Barnes said. “Working on the family farm started my love for animal care and over the past three years I’ve gotten to work at a veterinary practice, which has strengthened my love for animals.”
The Memorandum of Understanding took effect June 1 and carries a five-year term through June 1, 2031, unless canceled or renewed by mutual agreement.
Program graduates will also be eligible to apply for the Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program.
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