Name: Town and Country Animal Hospital
Address: 9836 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA
Telephone: (703) 273-2110

The vet school at Virginia Tech is putting up a new building, an addition to its small animal teaching hospital designed around the pets and people who will use it. “Space shapes both what we do and how we feel,” says Dean Dan Givens of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

Town and Country made The Vet School in Our Backyard together with the college. In Episode 3, Building What’s Next, the Dean walks the site with our owner, Dr. Reed Hall, a 1996 graduate of the college.

What is Virginia Tech building?

A new addition and a renovation of the college’s Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Blacksburg, a $63 million project Virginia Tech approved in August 2026. The college plans to break ground in March 2027 and have students training in the new space by March 2029. The teaching hospital stays open the entire time.

Rendering of dogs and veterinary staff in the courtyard garden beside the new addition to the teaching hospital at Virginia Tech — The courtyard garden beside the new addition. Rendering courtesy of Virginia Tech.

How is the new building designed for pets and people?

It starts at the curb. Cars will pull through a covered drop-off, so you can get out of the car “in the snow, in the rain, not have to fight the elements so bad,” the Dean says. Beside the building, a wellness garden for animals will have three 40-foot-long neurology exercise areas, where doctors can watch dogs walk up and down stairs and slopes. Inside, the first floor will hold emergency services and community practice, the college’s name for primary care.

“We’re not excited about a building because of bricks and mortar,” he says. “We’re excited about a building because of what it does for people.”

The new building is designed around the pets and people who use it. At the entrance, cars pull through a covered drop-off. In the garden, dogs walk stairs and slopes in three 40-foot neurology exercise areas. Renderings courtesy of Virginia Tech.

Why does the college need a new building?

Because it has outgrown its space. “We’re in the same footprint that we were in 30 years ago,” the Dean says. “We’ve turned the broom closets into rounds rooms for the students to be able to sit and talk.” Today’s class is twice the size the hospital was designed for.

He wants the building to tell every student they belong. “We want a facility that communicates, this is your college, you were meant to be here.”

How is Town and Country connected to Virginia Tech?

Through our people. Dr. Reed Hall graduated from the college, the only vet school in Virginia, in 1996. “The support for Virginia-Maryland is so important,” he says in Episode 3. “It gave us so much. It gave us our careers and our livelihoods.” Our own Meg Butterworth, a veterinary assistant here, is a fourth-year student at the college, and you can meet her in Episodes 1 and 2.

Dean Dan Givens gesturing toward the site of the new addition while Dr. Reed Hall listens on the Virginia Tech campus — Dean Dan Givens shows Dr. Reed Hall where the new addition will stand.

The Dean’s point about space is one we live by, too. Town and Country is a Fear Free Certified Practice, so every Fear Free Appointment comes with non-slip mats, calming pheromones, treats and gentle handling that goes at your pet’s pace.

What comes next after Episode 3?

Virginia Tech’s free live webinar, Expanding Into Tomorrow: Approved and In Motion, is on Wednesday, October 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Zoom. Dean Givens and members of the college, including the lead architect, will share the plans and take questions, and Dr. Hall is on the panel. You can register free on the official event page.

Episode 3 is the last episode of the series. If you missed the start, watch Episode 1, There’s a Vet School in Your Backyard, and Episode 2, Why It Matters to You and Your Pet.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Virginia Tech’s new vet school building open?

The college plans to break ground in March 2027 and have students training in the new space by March 2029.

Will the teaching hospital stay open during construction?

Yes. The Dean says it will stay open the entire time.

Is the October 14 webinar free?

Yes. It runs from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern on Zoom, and you can register free on the official event page.

Is Town and Country Fear Free Certified?

Yes. Town and Country is a Fear Free Certified Practice, and you can book a Fear Free Appointment online or by phone.

How do you book a Fear Free Appointment at Town and Country?

Veterinary technician gently holding a calm dog during a Fear Free Appointment at Town and Country Animal Hospital — A Fear Free Appointment at Town and Country.

Book a Fear Free Appointment online at townandcountryanimalh.com/schedule-appointment, or call or text us at (703) 273-2110.

Need help after hours?

Our sister hospital, Columbia Pike Animal Hospital & Emergency Center in Annandale, is open 24/7 with no additional emergency fee. Call the 24/7 ER at (703) 256-8414

Town and Country Animal Hospital, 9836 Fairfax Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030. Love People. Love Pets.

How Virginia Tech’s New Vet School Building Is Designed for Pets and People

Episode 3 of The Vet School in Our Backyard: Building What’s Next