Download Representative - Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association

Highlighted areas must be customized or removed. To determine who your Senator or Representative is – go to www.legis.pa.us and
on the left hand side of the home page, go to the Find My Legislator section)
Date
The Honorable First Name Last Name
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Representative Last Name:
As a constituent, I am writing to ask for your support of the restoration of funding for the University of Pennsylvania, School of
Veterinary Medicine’s (Penn Vet) funding in the FY 17-18 State Appropriations Budget. As you are aware, the current House budget
proposal and the Governor’s proposal completely zero out the funding for Pennsylvania’s only veterinary school and the second oldest
existing veterinary school in the country. This $30 million cut represents 22% of the School’s total funding and will have serious
implications on the ability of the School to assist the agricultural community through its disease surveillance, diagnostic testing, field
investigations, and management programs. The swine, poultry, dairy, and equine industries all significantly benefit from the work at
Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center and Diagnostic Laboratory. In fact, Penn Vet has a $260 million economic impact on our
Commonwealth. In addition, as the 1st veterinary school developed in association with a medical school, Penn Vet is a nationally
recognized leader in One Health and translational research that has far-reaching positive, nationally recognized effects for both animal
and human health.
Penn Vet also provides outstanding training to future veterinarians; 40% of which are Pennsylvania residents and 75% of which stay in
Pennsylvania following graduation. These veterinarians graduate with an average $193,000 in debt and will be taxpayers, constituents,
and business owners in Pennsylvania. The State’s funding helps to ensure that there are qualified professionals to train these
individuals and helps take a portion of the significant financial debt off the shoulders of Pennsylvania residents graduating from Penn
Vet.
Funding one of the top four veterinary schools in the United States is not unheard of. Among the top veterinary schools in the United
States, the average ratio of funding from the schools themselves to state funding is $3:$1. For Penn Vet, the ratio is $3.6:$1. Similar
top tier schools received significantly more in state funding last year when compared to Penn. Cornell received $35 million, NC State
$35 million, Colorado State $57 million, and UC Davis $95 million. These states see their veterinary schools as an investment in their
states. I urgently ask that Pennsylvania continue to invest in our veterinary community, agriculture, and the Commonwealth’s protection
of animal and human health by restoring the $30 million state appropriation for our state’s only veterinary school Penn Vet.
(Add your contact information here if you wish to – If you have any questions or if I can be a resource to your and your staff, please
contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX or [email protected]) Thank you for your consideration of our request and thank you for your
continuing support of Pennsylvania’s veterinary community.
Sincerely yours,
First Name Last Name