Leland Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory dedication set
May 23, 2008Contact Information:
Steve Breeding, DVM, 479-575-4827, sbreedi@uark.edu
Howell Medders, Division of Agriculture Communications, 479-575-5647, hmedders@uark.edu
A dedication program is set for 2 to 4 p.m. June 12 for the Leland Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is operated by the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The public is invited to the June 12 dedication of the Leland Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is operated by the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture. Director Steve Breeding said the laboratory will provide disease diagnostic services and animal health monitoring programs for the poultry and livestock industries, veterinarians and the public.
The dedication will be from 2 to 4 p.m. at the laboratory on Deane Street at Porter Road. It is part of the complex of Division of Agriculture facilities and field research plots in the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center.
The program will include remarks by Don Tyson and Leland Tollett, who are both retired chairmen and CEOs of Tyson Foods; Marvin Childers and Gary Murphy, president and chairman of the board, respectively, of The Poultry Federation; Milo Shult, U of A System vice president for agriculture, and Jon Fitch, director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.
The 7,365-square-foot facility replaces an outdated lab in Springdale that has served the area since the early 1960s. Funding for the $2.4 million facility included a $1 million donation from Tyson Foods.
Architecture Plus of Fort Smith designed the building, and general contractor was SSI of Siloam Springs. The lab is staffed by Breeding, who is a board certified veterinarian, four laboratory technicians and a receptionist.
An innovative feature of the laboratory is a drive-up window as a convenience that will complement animal disease prevention programs, Breeding said. "The ability to submit samples to the laboratory without ever leaving your vehicle is something everyone will benefit from, especially the poultry companies," he said.
The necropsy suite will be similar to those found in veterinary colleges to enhance the diagnostic services and will also provide pre-vet students firsthand experience in animal anatomy and pathology, Breeding said. Major improvements in necropsy facilities will include a hydraulic table for large animals, a new small animal necropsy table, surgical lighting, walk-in cooler, large-capacity incinerator and an adjacent histology lab.
Breeding said the laboratory's clientele includes the poultry industry, private veterinary practitioners, farmers, individual animal owners and university faculty. The lab receives direct submissions from Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and mail-in submissions from several other states.
The new facility will also house the Poultry Federation Laboratory that performs serology testing for the Mycoplasma and Salmonella species monitored under the USDA's National Poultry Improvement Program.
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory conducts approximately 100,000 tests yearly to screen for avian influenza in cooperation with the USDA's National Poultry Improvement Plan. Other services include serology testing to monitor flock health and response to vaccination, diagnostic molecular testing for various diseases, bacterial culture and identification, antimicrobial sensitivity testing and equine infectious anemia testing. The lab also assists the Arkansas Department of Health with sample collection for Rabies and West Nile virus testing.
Breeding, a native of Conway, has B.S. degrees in poultry science and animal science, a master’s degree in poultry science/physiology and a doctorate in veterinary medicine, all from North Carolina State University. He is also a diplomate in the American College of Poultry Veterinarians and has received USDA training in diagnosis of foreign animal diseases.