UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine announces $110 million expansion

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) School of Veterinary Medicine announced plans last week for a major expansion of its veterinary medical complex, backed by $110.5 million in philanthropic support. The expansion, to be completed within the next decade, will include a new veterinary education pavilion, primary care hospital, equine hospital, veterinary cancer center, spay-neuter clinic, and raptor center.

According to the school, the project is intended to address the national shortage of veterinarians while also expanding patient care and advancing research in cancer, translational medicine, and other biomedical science areas.

“This next phase builds upon a successful series of facility projects since 2016 that have continued to modernize and expand the capabilities of veterinary medicine,” UC Davis wrote in a news report.¹

The veterinary education pavilion will allow UC Davis to raise enrollment in its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program from 600 to 800 students. In its announcement, the school said the upcoming pavilion will still meet accreditation standards.

Veterinary Education Pavilion video rendering. (Courtesy of UC Davis)

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Meanwhile, the complex’s new clinical and hospital facilities will increase the yearly patient capacity by 20,000, raising patient volume from 50,000 to 70,000. The expansion will also have new spaces for working on veterinary health research and treatments,

“UC Davis researchers are at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries improving care for animals and humans,” UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May, PhD, MS, said in the report.¹ “As a global leader in veterinary treatment and research, it’s our responsibility to ensure that care and compassion extend as far as possible.”

The announcement came as the school celebrated the opening of a new All Species Imaging Center, created to serve as a central hub for advanced diagnostic imaging of small and large animals.² The imaging center, along with a Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center and an Advanced Veterinary Surgery Center, which opened in 2025 and 2024, respectively, are all part of the expansion project.

Included in the All Species Imaging Center are 4 diagnostic imaging suites, 2 control rooms, a patient waiting room, a room used by radiologists for image interpretation, and staff office spaces.² Additionally, the imaging suites contain either computed tomography (CT) for small and/or animals, high field magnetic resonance imaging for small and large animals, positron emission tomography for small and large animals, and a large bore equine CT.²

The layout of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center, meanwhile, was inspired by human dentistry suites. In the center, there are 3 standalone dental care/oral surgery operatory spaces, a sterilization center, a space for staff breaks, and more.³

According to the university, all parts of the new facilities were fully or largely funded through philanthropy, including a $50 million challenge grant from the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation.

References

1. $110.5M in gifts fuel UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine expansion. University of California, Davis. September 18, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/1105m-gifts-fuel-uc-davis-school-veterinary-medicine-expansion
2. Coppock Crossley K. UC Davis unveils a new diagnostic imaging center. dvm360. September 20, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/uc-davis-unveils-a-new-diagnostic-imaging-center
3. Bautista-Alejandre A. New UC Davis Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center layout inspired by human dentistry suites. dvm360. January 30, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/new-dentistry-and-oral-surgery-center-at-uc-davis-layout-inspired-by-human-dentistry-suites