The foundation of The Mumbai Veterinary College, Mumbai, in 1886 marked the establishment of the veterinary profession in this country. The Mumbai Veterinary College was inaugurated by Prof. J. H. Steel, B.Sc. F.R.C.V.S., a person with experience and dynamism as its first principal. Principal J. H. Steel can be considered as the father of modern Veterinary education in India. He also can be called the father of modern Veterinary Journalism.

The Mumbai Veterinary College was initially housed in the vast compound of Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals, Parel, Mumbai which was established in 1883 by Sir D. M. Petit Baronet. Prof. J. H. Steel was assisted by three Indian Medical Officers and an European Farrier to conduct the teaching. But when trained Veterinary graduates became available in 1889, two of them, Principal J. H. Steel, in his annual reports during the four years he presided over the college, outlined his ambitious ideas for the future development of the college. He reported “The average amount of knowledge conveyed to our students before they become practitioners will equal that given in the First Batch Of Veterinary Students 1886 British school. Our best men may not be equal to the best European graduates but they will not fall far short and the shortcoming, if any will disappear in time with further development of the college”.

Indeed Principal. Steel in his comprehensive reports also dealt with other aspects such as affiliation of the college to that local university and the minimum admission standard. In his annual administration report (1888) he states ” It is confidently expected that in a very few years it (Mumbai Veterinary College) would be affiliated to the Bombay University and the time will have arrived when admission may be refused to non-matriculates “. On establishing the college in Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals, certain buildings belonging to the Hospital were handed over to the Government for the use of the college. The large central Main College Building 1908 bungalow was utilized as the college building with certain alterations and additions such as two large lecture rooms, a library, a museum, pharmacy and office rooms for the Principal and Professors and quarters for the Resident Veterinary Officer.

The curricular teaching and the clinical work of the hospital was placed in the hands of the Principal and the Faculty while general management of Hospital and patients was undertaken by the Secretary, S. P. C. A. Mumbai. This dual control system worked for some time but later on due to certain religious sentiments of Jain- Hindu members of the S. P. C. A. post-mortem and dissection of animals which are the aids in diagnosis and advancement of the science could not be performed in the S. P. C. A. Hospital compound. The Government of Mumbai therefore, constructed a post-mortem room and the dissection hall outside the Hospital compound Pathology laboratory 1891 but in its vicinity. Other buildings such as students’ hostels, shoeing forge were added from time to time. A three storied building with Roman gothic architecture, called Patho-Bacteriological Laboratory was built by Sir D. M. Petit and handed over to the Government in 1891.

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