V: Veterinary Hospital

Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University's world-renowned James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The hospital was built in 1979, but CSU's animal programs go back to its beginnings as an agricultural school. In the fall of 1907, students at (then) Colorado A & M formed the Veterinary Medical Association. That year, Colorado residents could attend the Professional Veterinary Medicine Program for free. Out-of-staters paid $25 a year.

The program's many accomplishments include:

First use of x-rays to diagnose equine injuries;

First veterinary ethics courses in the world;

First birth of test-tube horse in the country (named Firecracker);

First successful open-heart surgery performed on dogs;

First veterinarian in space.

The Vet Hospital treats thousands of critters, from Amphibians to Zebras, every year. And of course, the staff takes excellent care of CSU's mascot, Cam the Ram.