SUNY Delhi Receives Major Gift to Expand Spay, Neuter Services for Community

DELHI—SUNY Delhi’s Veterinary Technology program recently received a major anonymous gift to expand its animal spay and neuter services. The $215,000.00 gift will allow the program to establish a new community-facing animal clinic in Farnsworth Hall on campus to provide high-quality surgical reproductive services to humane societies, animal clinics, and the local community.

Students in both associate and bachelor’s degree veterinary technology programs at SUNY Delhi train in surgical procedures, including assisting in providing spay and neuter services to local animal shelters and service organizations. Through the gift, the program’s capacity to offer spay and neuter services to the community is expected to increase by more than 200 percent, with up to 400 spay and neuter procedures performed per year. The expansion will also provide the underserved local community access to an affordable spay and neuter option for their pets.

“This tremendous gift comes at the perfect time for our program,” said Michael Sullivan, vice president for college advancement at SUNY Delhi. “As Farnsworth Hall—the home to many of the veterinary program’s teaching spaces—currently undergoes renovations to become a state-of-art teaching facility and animal hospital, the opportunity to add a community-facing animal clinic allows us to combine the needs of the community with increased learning opportunities for our students.”

“Our faculty and students are excited to create a new signature addition to enhance our renowned veterinary technology program,” said Dr. Bret Meckel, dean of the School of Veterinary and Applied Sciences at SUNY Delhi. “While we already offer some of the most versatile applied learning opportunities anywhere in the nation, our students will now also be able to learn the managerial skills to operate animal clinics, which will greatly benefit them in their future careers.”

Dr. Meckel, who volunteers his time and expertise locally at the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, resides with his family in Cooperstown.

SUNY Delhi is the first to offer a veterinary science technology program in the U.S., teaching the most up-to-date techniques to care for the health and wellness of animals. Fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, SUNY Delhi offers both associate and bachelor’s programs with access to extensive facilities, including surgical and diagnostic imaging suites, a new clinical suite that mimics a veterinary hospital, laboratory animal amenities, and a large animal teaching farm with alpacas, cows, sheep, and horses. With a strong emphasis on hands-on skills, Delhi graduates are sought after by the some of the best animal clinics, hospitals and research facilities in the nation.