Along with offering preventative health care services for
the pets of Joint Base San Antonio military members, the three JBSA veterinary
facilities are also responsible for ensuring America’s four-legged Airmen are
healthy and physically able to respond to emergencies domestic or abroad.
“Military working dog support is very similar to the medical
and readiness support of an active duty Soldier,” Army Capt. Ambre Gejer, South
Texas Branch Veterinary Services chief, said. “My job is to make sure that
those canines are fit and ready to deploy. We also help train their handlers on
how to apply canine first aid in a battlefield setting.”
Military working dogs are just one group of animals under
the umbrella of JBSA veterinary care, along with the horses of the caisson
section and various species within the Quadrangle at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
Military working dogs are the reason that on-base services
are available for pet owners, Army Sgt. Justin Garner, JBSA animal health
technician, said.
“It’s our job to make sure that the military working dogs
are in tip-top shape so that they can protect our military members down range,”
he said. “They are our main mission, and without them, the capability to also
take care of privately owned animals would not be available.”
As for pet needs, the staff at JBSA veterinary facilities
provides basic care to the cats and dogs of active duty, Reserve and retirees
for a slightly lower price than off base clinics that offer the same
assistance.
Families in need of specialty support for dogs and cats or
for small mammals and reptiles are encouraged to take their animals to an
off-base vet who can provide these services, Gejer said.
At JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Lackland, basic needs, such as
vaccines, heartworm testing, nail trims and exams are available, while at
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, pet owners also have the option for more extensive care
such as bloodwork and x-rays.
According to Gejer, if families are moving on base, the
following are requirements for pets:
• All pets must be registered. Medical records and a basic
description of the pet must be brought in to the local clinic. The information
is also available in the system at all three locations.
• All pets must be microchipped, both on base and in
accordance with the San Antonio city ordinance.
• All pets must have up-to-date vaccinations and a heartworm
exam.
“If military members
have pets that they have to worry about, they are less focused on the mission,”
Garner said. “We want to provide care for these pets because they are members
of their families too.”
Individuals can call their local clinic both to review the
current office schedule, which can fluctuate according to veterinarian
availability, and to make an appointment for their pet. Appointments can be
made two weeks to a month in advance.
Appointments and services will be limited at the
JBSA-Randolph vet clinic through July due to a reduced staff. At this time,
surgical services for privately owned animals are not available at JBSA
veterinary facilities.
To make an appointment at the JBSA-Randolph vet clinic, call
652-3190; for JBSA-Lackland, call 671-3631 and for the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
Veterinary Treatment Facility, call 808-6101.
Families moving out of the local area should notify Melinda
Pruitt at the JBSA-Fort Sam Veterinary Treatment Facility six months in advance
of the move or as soon as possible, Gejer said. Some assignments such as Hawaii
and Japan have special requirements to fulfill in order to in-process smoothly
and avoid a pet being placed in quarantine upon arrival.
To contact Melinda Pruitt about the out-processing of a pet,
call 295-4019.