
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, is home to a veterinary clinic and on-campus veterinarians, providing health and veterinary care for the university's animals, including horses, cows, sheep, and poultry. The university also has the Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center, a 15,500-square-foot facility designed for teaching, research, and clinical training. With a focus on hands-on learning, the center includes labs, a surgery suite, and an outdoor area for animal examinations, fostering an interdisciplinary approach to animal science education.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the animal hospital | Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center |
| Area | 15,500 sq ft (or 17,500 sq ft as per another source) |
| Features | Multi-use space, flexible for teaching, research and clinical training, wet labs, a surgery suite, a necropsy area, a covered outdoor area for animal examinations, a mobile ambulatory component, two teaching labs, support spaces, and building service spaces |
| Purpose | To foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals and their shared environment, while training students in sustainable animal food production and animal agriculture |
| Veterinary clinic | Student-run, supervised by veterinarians |
| Veterinary units | Two mobile veterinary units |
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What You'll Learn

Cal Poly has a student-run veterinary clinic
The on-campus veterinarians provide health and veterinary care for Cal Poly's animals, which include over 100 horses, 250 Angus cow-calf pairs, 180 lactating dairy cows, 100 ewes, 35 sows, a tortoise colony, and a poultry operation. Students can assist and observe these veterinarians as they work, gaining valuable experience and insight into the realities of working in the animal health field. The veterinarians also mentor students as their teachers and advisors.
The student-run clinic is part of Cal Poly's pre-veterinary program, which offers additional opportunities to work with animals through Enterprise classes. These classes provide real-world experience that strengthens applications to veterinary schools in North America and Europe. Over 40 students per year from Cal Poly are accepted into colleges of veterinary medicine across these continents.
The Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center, a new facility set to break ground soon, will further enhance the teaching, research, and clinical training opportunities for animal science students. The center will feature 15,500 to 17,500 square feet of multi-use space, including wet labs, a surgery suite, a necropsy area, and flexible teaching and research labs. This state-of-the-art facility will position Cal Poly as a leader in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture, offering an interdisciplinary approach to training that embraces hands-on learning and collaborative engagement between people, animals, and their shared environment.
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The Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center
Cal Poly does have an animal hospital, known as the Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center. The center is an interactive and experiential animal facility that embraces hands-on learning to support the next generation of leaders in veterinary medicine, animal healthcare, and animal agriculture. It is a modern, state-of-the-art facility that meets the growing demand for animal health and science professionals.
The animal hospital reinforces Cal Poly's position as a leader in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture. It is one of only two undergraduate teaching veterinary clinics in the United States. The university offers one of the largest animal sciences programs in the country, with 75% of students aspiring to become veterinarians. The center will foster a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals, and their shared environment, while also training students in sustainable animal food production and animal agriculture.
The Cal Poly Animal Science Department has a unique approach to education, marrying learning with real-world application. This gives students insight into the realities of working in the animal health field. As a result, over 40 students per year from Cal Poly are accepted into colleges of veterinary medicine worldwide. The university also employs on-campus veterinarians and provides a veterinary clinic for students to gain hands-on experience and learn from mentors.
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Cal Poly employs on-campus veterinarians
The university's Animal Science Department maintains a student-run veterinary clinic, addressing the veterinary needs of the animals on campus. The department also has two mobile veterinary units to assist the campus veterinarians in responding to the needs of the beef, dairy, equine, poultry, sheep, and swine centres. Students can work at the veterinary clinic and participate in these calls.
The new Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center will provide 15,500 square feet of multi-use space for teaching, research, and clinical training. This includes wet labs, a surgery suite, and a necropsy area. There will also be a covered outdoor area for animal examinations and a mobile ambulatory component to expose students to livestock practices. The Animal Health Center will foster a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals, and their shared environment, while also training students in sustainable animal food production and animal agriculture.
Cal Poly is a leader in veterinary medicine and animal agriculture and is one of only two undergraduate teaching veterinary clinics in the United States. The university's Animal Science program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates to learn from veterinarians and gain experience in a veterinary clinic setting. The program provides insight into the realities of working in the animal health field, with over 40 students per year going on to colleges of veterinary medicine in North America and Europe.
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Cal Poly's Animal Science Department
The department manages multiple production facilities, including the Beef, Swine, and Sheep Centers, which offer students unique learning opportunities outside the classroom. The Biotechnology program allows students to research diseases and work on improving animal well-being and efficiency. The Food Animal Production program provides insight into the beef, swine, sheep, and goat industries, while the Poultry Management program offers an understanding of the poultry industry, including health, nutrition, and production.
The Equine Science program is another key offering, providing an extensive exploration of the science, research, management, and training of horses. Students learn about reproduction, nutrition, physiology, training, and riding, with courses tailored to all experience levels. The department also operates a USDA-certified, state-of-the-art meat processing center, where students can gain experience in meat production, packaging, and marketing.
The Animal Science Department at Cal Poly is known for its intensive hands-on learning environment, with enterprise projects, animal unit management, and undergraduate research opportunities. The department's pre-veterinary program is particularly notable, with on-campus veterinarians and a veterinary clinic where students can gain clinical and managerial skills. The Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center, a new facility with teaching, research, and clinical training spaces, further enhances the hands-on learning experience and supports the training of future leaders in veterinary medicine and animal healthcare.
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Cal Poly's pre-veterinary program
The Animal Science Department employs on-campus veterinarians and provides a veterinary clinic for students to learn from. These veterinarians provide health and veterinary care for the university's animals, including over 100 horses, 250 Angus cow-calf pairs, 180 lactating dairy cows, 100 ewes, 35 sows, a tortoise colony, and a poultry operation. Students have the opportunity to assist and observe these veterinarians, gaining valuable experience and insight into the realities of working in the animal health field.
The department also offers Enterprise classes, which provide additional opportunities to work with animals and build real-world experience that strengthens veterinary school applications. These classes include hands-on courses such as animal unit management, foaling horses, breeding cows, raising broiler chickens and quail, riding and training horses, and running a vet clinic. The Biotechnology program further enhances this experience by allowing students to gain research experience and improve animal well-being and efficiency.
The university is also constructing the Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center, a 15,500-square-foot facility that will provide flexible teaching, research, and clinical training spaces. This center will include wet labs, a surgery suite, and a necropsy area, as well as an outdoor area for animal examinations. The Animal Health Center will foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach between people, animals, and their shared environment, positioning Cal Poly as a top undergraduate animal science program.
Through this comprehensive pre-veterinary program, Cal Poly successfully prepares its students for veterinary school and careers in animal healthcare. The combination of academic curriculum, hands-on experience, and mentorship from on-campus veterinarians equips graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue further education and succeed in their chosen field.
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Frequently asked questions
Cal Poly has a student-run veterinary clinic on campus, which is supervised by veterinarians. The university also has the Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center, which is a multi-use facility for teaching, research, and clinical training.
The veterinary clinic provides health and veterinary care for the animals on campus, including over 100 horses, 250 Angus cows, 180 dairy cows, 100 ewes, 35 sows, a tortoise colony, and a poultry operation.
The Charles and Claire Jacobson Animal Health Center is a state-of-the-art facility that supports teaching, research, and clinical training for animal science students. It includes teaching and research labs, a surgery suite, and a covered outdoor area for animal examinations.











































