Celebrate World Veterinary Year
World Veterinary Year will begin in January and will celebrate the contributions the profession has made to society over the succeeding centuries.
It was in Lyon, in 1761, that the very first veterinary school was built followed by the Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine in Paris, in 1764.
Both schools were founded by barrister Claude Bourgelat, who was concerned about cattle plague or rinderpest, which was rife in Europe at the time.
The RVC was the first British vet school, established in 1791, followed by Edinburghs Royal School of Veterinary Studies in 1823.
The official opening ceremony of World Veterinary Year takes place in Versailles on January 24, 2011.