El Paso County set to create an educational pathway for Juarez veterinary students

JUAREZ, Chihuahua -- The El Paso County Animal Welfare Department is developing a low-cost pet wellness clinic in Horizon city.

The facility is set to be used to offer low-cost spaying and neutering, microchipping, flea and tick preventative and dewormer services to pets across the county.

This clinic will be turned into the home of a foreign veterinarian pathway classroom for graduates of veterinarian medicine from another country. It will be specially focused on graduates from Juarez University, UACJ.

Hired graduates will work as veterinarian residents in Texas. This program will also help to alleviate the shortage of veterinarians in the U.S.

“We have veterinarians here in El Paso that have graduated from a foreign university, so supporting their effort to become licensed veterinarians here in our Borderland makes sense,” said Lauralei Combs, Executive Director of the County Animal Welfare Department. “They have a skill set that we are in desperate need of.”

The residents will be signing a three-year contract with the county, which will cover the costs of these licensing fees.