Sometimes the hardest part of loving a pet is knowing there will be moments we cannot fix on our own.
The late-night emergency.
The unexpected diagnosis.
The goodbye that always seems to come too soon.
Our pets become part of our lives in quiet, ordinary ways. They're waiting at the door after work, curled up beside us on difficult days or riding along for weekend adventures. Before we realize it, they've become part of our family's story.
So, when they need help, we hope the right people are there.
Since 1978, Colorado State University's veterinary campus along Drake Road has quietly become one of Fort Collins' greatest treasures. Behind its doors, veterinarians have cared for some of the most complex cases in the country, researchers have advanced the future of animal medicine, and generations of students have learned from some of the brightest minds in veterinary science.
Many of us have driven past those buildings hundreds of times without realizing one of the world's leading veterinary programs has been right here in our community all along.
Now, a new chapter is beginning.
Opening this fall, Colorado State University's Veterinary Hospital and Education Complex represents far more than a new facility. But after spending time with the project manager and veterinary leaders helping bring this vision to life, I realized something.
The story isn't the building.
The story is the people whose lives will unfold inside it.
Built Around the People Who Walk Through the Doors
When Britt Mactavish discusses the new hospital, she rarely mentions construction.
She talks about people.
"It's really the teamwork and the amount of effort embedded within those walls that makes me most proud," she says.
As project manager, Mactavish spent years bringing together veterinarians, faculty, architects, engineers, and construction teams to ensure every space reflected the needs of those who would use it.
The result feels different from the moment you walk inside.
Natural light pours through the atrium. Colorado wildflowers inspired the colors throughout the building. Waiting areas, exam rooms, and patient spaces were thoughtfully designed using Fear Free™ principles to reduce anxiety for both animals and the people who love them. Even the windows feature subtle dog- and cat-nose print patterns, a quiet reminder of the bond that inspired the building in the first place.
For Mactavish, the project also shines a brighter light on something Fort Collins has had for decades.
"This is truly a gem for Fort Collins," she says. "It's important to continue sharing the extraordinary care, expertise, and access available right here in our community."
Here for Your Veterinarian. Here for You.
One message surfaced in every conversation.
CSU isn't trying to replace your veterinarian.
It's here to stand beside them.
Dr. Chad Johannes, Executive Director of Clinical Care, describes the Veterinary Health System as a resource for families, primary care veterinarians, and specialists alike.
"If you need specialty care, if you need primary care, we're here to be a resource," he says.
That partnership is one of the hospital's greatest strengths, and it shows up in the way care can continue.
A family may continue seeing the veterinarian who has cared for their pet for years. But if that pet suddenly needs advanced oncology, cardiology, neurology, or emergency surgery, those local veterinarians have an entire team of nationally recognized specialists just minutes away.
The circle of care grows larger.
Families can also establish care directly through CSU's new Primary Care Hospital for wellness visits, dental care, surgery, and lifelong care.
World-recognized veterinary medicine isn't somewhere far away.
It's right here when our community needs it most.
Teaching Tomorrow's Veterinarians
For Dr. Andrew Ciccolini, the new Primary Care Hospital isn't simply an expansion of services.
It's changing how veterinarians learn.
Nearly three-quarters of veterinary graduates begin their careers in primary care, caring for family pets in communities just like ours.
Instead of primarily observing, students will now work alongside licensed veterinarians as active members of the medical team. They'll examine patients, communicate with families, perform procedures, and gain confidence through real experience before graduation.
"We want to take care of people's pets from that first appointment at eight weeks old until the last appointment," Ciccolini says.
Families become part of that education as well.
"We really want to flip that narrative," he says, "and have clients more involved in the care of their pet."
It's an approach that benefits students, veterinarians, pets and the families who love them.
The Moments That Matter Most
As Dr. Kelly Hall talks about the new hospital, it's clear she isn't thinking first about the building.
She's thinking about the families who will one day walk through their doors.
A specialist in emergency and critical care, Dr. Hall has spent her career meeting people on some of the hardest days they'll ever experience with a beloved pet.
She helped shape the new hospital around those moments.
The emergency entrance allows critically ill patients to move quickly into care while keeping families nearby. Private visitation rooms within the intensive care unit let owners spend meaningful time with hospitalized pets without interrupting the care they're receiving.
"We can do the medicine," Dr. Hall says, "and that human-animal bond, that family connection, I believe is super critical."
Her compassion extends to the people working beside her as well.
Natural light, gathering spaces, and quiet places to recharge remind veterinary teams to care for one another because extraordinary medicine begins with people who feel supported.
When she talks about what she hopes this building means, her focus isn't the technology or the architecture. It's knowing every family feels the people caring for their pet understand just how much that life means.
"My job as a leader is to take care of my teammates," Dr. Hall says. "In veterinary medicine, you carry the hard days together and celebrate the wins together. That support helps us bring compassion to the difficult moments and joy to the victories, always keeping our patients and their families at the center."
Right Here in Fort Collins
As each conversation came to a close, I asked one final question:
When people walk through these doors for the first time, what do you hope they feel?
Britt Mactavish hoped they would feel welcomed, cared for, and energized.
Dr. Chad Johannes hoped families would feel confidence in the care, the team, and the support available when they need it most.
Dr. Andrew Ciccolini hoped they would feel included in both their pet's care and the education happening around them.
Dr. Kelly Hall hoped they would feel comfortable and safe.
Not one answer mentioned the building, the technology, or the rankings.
Perhaps that's what makes this place so extraordinary: it keeps the focus on people.
Colorado State University is home to one of the world's leading veterinary programs, advancing discoveries and preparing future veterinarians every day.
But perhaps its greatest gift is closer to home.
The comfort of knowing that when one of life's hardest moments arrives for the pet you love, extraordinary care isn't somewhere else.
It's right here in Fort Collins.
With open doors, compassionate hearts, and a promise to care for every pet as their own.
"The greatest achievement isn't the building itself. It's the people whose shared vision created a place that serves our community for generations."
- Britt Mactavish
Did You Know?
Since 1978, Colorado State University’s veterinary campus has served pets and families from across Colorado and beyond. Its new Primary Care Hospital expands access to wellness exams, vaccinations, dentistry, surgery and lifelong care, while veterinary students learn alongside experienced clinicians. Together, advanced medicine, hands-on education and world-recognized expertise continue shaping the future of veterinary care right here in Fort Collins while strengthening the health and well-being of pets and the families who love them.