Guest blogger Navy Lt. Theresa Donnelly, of U.S. Pacific Command, is the owner of Hawaii Military Pets, which provides pet resources for military families. She’s offered to share her pet-related knowledge in a series of blogs for Family Matters.

By Navy Lt. Theresa Donnelly
March 12, 2012

Army Capt. Dixie Burner and Army Spc. Carol Albino examine a stray cat that recently gave birth to kittens. U.S. Army photo by Kathy Eastwood

Active duty service members and military retirees who own a pet and live near a military installation have a great service at their disposal: veterinary clinics.

Clinic providers ensure the health of our furry friends by providing preventive care and wellness checks.  

These clinics are run by the Army’s Veterinary Corps, a special group of dedicated soldiers who have a host of missions. They care for pets stateside, handle veterinary medical and surgical care, food safety and defense, and biomedical research and development.

Caring for pets is beneficial not only for the pet owners, but also for the veterinarians, explained Army Col. Robert Vogelsang, program manager for clinical veterinary medicine for U.S. Army Public Health Command. “Along with the primary animal-care mission for military working animals, providing some care to authorized beneficiaries’ pets helps veterinarians and technicians sustain skills they need for wartime and contingency operations,” he said.

Animal doctors travel to conflict-affected areas around the world to administer vaccines and other treatments for farmers’ livestock in rural areas and underserved communities where care for animals is limited or unavailable. In many countries, the veterinarians are part of the Army’s civic action teams, meeting with government leaders and helping them with sustainable agricultural programs. These “soft power” programs help build rapport in the community and can help weaken support for insurgent activity, officials said.

Most service members’ primary interaction with the Army’s veterinarians is through the military’s 160 veterinary treatment facilities, which provide wellness checks, preventive medicine and outpatient services.

Veterinary care is funded by nonappropriated funds generated through services charged to pet owners, Vogelsang explained, which limits how much care can be offered. However, clinics try to keep pet owners’ costs reasonable while still covering the expense of clinic operations.

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