Queen Opens University of Surrey’s New £45m Veterinary School

Published on: 15 Oct, 2015
Updated on: 15 Oct, 2015

A dog called Scruffy was among the guests to witness the Queen officially open the University of Surrey’s new £45 million veterinary school today (Thursday, October 15).

The Queen opened the University of Surrey’s new school of veterinary on Thursday, October 15.

During the visit well-known TV ‘super vet’ Professor Noel Fitzpatrick showed the Queen how just an hour earlier a new prosthetic foot had fitted on Scruffy. This was just in time for her visit after it had been raced down to the school by courier.

Inspirational and innovative veterinary surgeon Professor Noel Fitzpatrick ensures that Scruffy, the seven-year-old treasured pet of a Surrey couple gets a new bionic foot in readiness for his introduction to The Queen and Prince Phillip.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, toured the school, on the university’s Manor Park campus, first visiting its large animal clinical skills building where they met students undertaking equine examinations and working with livestock.

They went on down through the university grounds to the biometrics laboratory where they met Professor Fitzpatrick and saw at first hand animals that have benefitted from prosthetic limb surgery.

After the tour the Queen, wearing a stunning peacock blue coat and matching hat, unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

Joey from War Horse looking fore some food!

As the royal party left, Joey, star of the theatre production War Horse, reared up in front of the Queen and Prince Philip to say farewell.

Mateus Forni, 19, from Brazil, a first-year student, chosen from 1,000 applicants to be among the 120 students at the event, said two of his most treasured ambitions had been met: “I have wanted to be a vet since I was a 10-year-old boy and I have always wanted to see the Queen of England.

“Now I have achieved both in what I believe will become one of the finest veterinary schools in the world.”

In five years’ time Mateus hopes he will be among the students to help attain the coveted validation from The Royal College, saying he feels both privileged and somewhat apprehensive about helping the university to achieve its goal.

Two students ‘down on the farm’ at the school of veterinary.

Professor Lisa Roberts, executive dean of faculty of health and medical sciences, said: “It has taken five years of vision, enthusiasm and determination from many talented individuals for us to reach today’s official opening of a new and different school of veterinary medicine.”

Professor Fitzpatrick said: “This will be a place where anything and everything is possible and achievable and will do things that have never been done anywhere else in the world.”