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Annual Open House

Mark your calendars! The NC State College of Veterinary Medicine looks forward to celebrating its annual Open House on March 23, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This extremely popular free event invites the community to explore our College of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Hospital to learn more about how we are a driving force in veterinary research, training and medical care.

Learn more about the operations and facilities at our Veterinary Hospital and bring your budding veterinarians to check out what the classrooms and laboratories in a state-of-the-art college of veterinary medicine are like. Then stop by demonstrations to see how our veterinarians work with animals. Make sure to leave time to participate in one of our many events.

Open House Activities

  • Get your favorite stuffed animal repaired in our Teddy Bear Clinic
  • Practice your skills in our Cow-Milking Booth
  • Learn how our veterinarians and students care for farm animals
  • Hear from a current veterinary student on what it’s really like to study at the College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Take part in a “mini clinical trial” with our Clinical Studies Core team
  • See how our researchers are improving animal and human health
  • Engage with local animal organizations
  • Meet Mr. Wuf and Ms. Wuf
  • Get your face painted
  • Grab a snack at one of seven food trucks
  • and much more!

What is the Teddy Bear Clinic?

The Surgery Club at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine is encouraging kids to bring a stuffed animal – perhaps one who has seen better days or a dog toy that needs a little TLC. Our students will be giving fun and interactive lesson on how to sew up a tear or cut!

Please plan to bring a stuffed animal as we will have a limited amount available!

Important Information about Open House

  • This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
  • Personal pets are not permitted at Open House. Please leave your furry friends at home.
  • Looking for more information about parking? View a parking map here. There will be multiple parking options – both on-campus and off-campus. For off-campus parking, shuttles will be provided for your convenience.
  • Have additional questions? Download and check out the Open House Digital Guidebook.

Demonstrations Itinerary

Dog Demonstrations

9:15 a.m., noon and 1:45 p.m. – Protecting Our State – Meet a NC State Bureau of Investigation bomb detection dog and learn how these dogs are trained in their life-saving skills.
9:40 am – Tricks for Treats – See a great array of tricks that you can teach your dog and learn how to earn titles in the AKC Trick Dog program
10 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. – Canine Obstacle Course: Agility – See dogs jump, tunnel and weave through a dog agility course.
10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – Controlled Chaos – The Speed Sport of Flyball – Watch dogs race to a box to retrieve a tennis ball. Fastest team wins.
11:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. – From Kindergarten to Ph.D. – Competition Obedience: Take basic commands to the next level. See dogs heeling off leash, jumping, retrieving and performing many high-level obedience exercises

Equine (Horse) Demonstrations

9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. — Painted horse and musculoskeletal anatomy
10 a.m. — Acupuncture
NoonComputed tomography (CT) demonstration
1 p.m. and 2 p.m. — Farrier

Student-Focused Presentations (in Green Theater)

10 a.m. and 12 p.m. — Admissions and Student Development
11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. — A day in the life of a DVM student
11:45 a.m. — VBMA new member orientation

Explore last year’s Open House