Dr. Terrence Ferguson and Dr. Vernard Hodges are two of the most successful Black veterinarians in the world. The HBCU graduates opened the Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital in 1999 in Byron, Georgia, and have been practicing since. Their success was chronicled on the popular “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” television series. They are 2024 inductees to the National Black College Alumni Hall Of Fame. They sat with rolling out to tell us about their journey.
What does it mean to you to be inducted into the HBCU Hall Of Fame?
Dr. Hodges: When we learned we got in, we were just super excited. To be mentioned among the greats like Martin Luther King Jr. and Oprah Winfrey and all these people who are Black scholars from historically Black colleges is just a big thing.
Dr. Ferguson: It was a surreal moment, and this is something that lasts forever. It never goes away. We will always be in the HBCU Alumni Hall Of Fame. Our kids and our kids’ kids will be able to see it one day and just know that we did something right. We may not have done everything right, but we did something right.
Why did y’all choose to attend Tuskegee University?
Dr. Hodges: People will often come up to us and say, “Where should my kids go to school?” But there’s only one historically Black college that has a veterinary school. Tuskegee produces 75% of all veterinarians of color in the world … So it was an easy choice for me.
Dr. Ferguson: We both understood the importance of attending an HBCU because we’re both graduates of Fort Valley State University … We understood what it means to be close with your classmates and instructors, [having them] know who you are and really putting their arms around you.
What are some of your favorite memories from “Critter Fixers”?
Dr. Hodges: We were nominated for a BET Image Award and to be in the same category as “Family Feud” is iconic, especially considering the culture. Being on the Disney platform puts you in so many rooms. We’ve been able to meet Tamron Hall, Whoopi Goldberg, The Rock, the Kardashian sisters … It’s just been an amazing experience.
Dr. Ferguson: I remember at one event we were at, and I met this A-list actress that I really wanted to meet. So I walked up and I’m explaining who I am to her like “I’m Dr. Ferguson from Georgia; we have a little show on Nat Geo,” and she let me explain all about the show and she looked at me and she said, “I know who you are. I watch your show.” It was just like one of those full-circle moments.
Why are there so few Black veterinarians?
Dr. Ferguson: We have to expose our kids more to what Black vets look like, and we have to be that example. When we talk about “representation matters,” that means kids need to be able to see what they can be an expert at. But as you grow up, if you don’t see those examples, a lot of time, you’ll kind of fade away from it and you’ll do something that you do see people that look like you doing.
What is Vet For A Day?
Dr. Hodges: The goal of this is to get kids in front of schools so they can see that the applicant pool needs to be more diverse. Everybody’s not the perfect student; they may not have a 4.0. There are some great students who have gone through a lot of different things. We want the Vet For A Day program to be able to give kids all across the United States a chance to become veterinarians.
