Four-legged friends must outprocess, too

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  As military members begin going through their checklists for an overseas permanent change of station, they sometimes forget to do the same for their four-legged friends they want to take with them.

Army Lt. Col. Shannon Sutherland, a veterinarian at Fort Sill, Okla., who often mans Sheppard Air Force Base's Veterinary Clinic, said animals are no different than humans when it comes to PCSing. In fact, she said it could take longer to "out-process" an animal than a human.

By visiting the clinic on Sheppard, members can get a jump on the process, and also do it at a cost-effective price.

"People going overseas need to plan out. Most need six months, but nine months is better," she said. "That way we can make (sure everything is ready)."

What a lot of people don't realize, the colonel said, is that dogs and cats of military members who are going overseas are required to have an identification microchip. She said this is typically where the problems start because the series of rabies vaccinations and tests can't take place until the chip is inserted.

"This is a long process to get to these places," Colonel Sutherland said. "There is no such thing as overnight placement."

Requirements for pets are often driven by the country to which the person is PCSing, the colonel said, and not every country has the same requirements. She said the prerequisites also change frequently.

She advises those with orders for an overseas assignment to visit the clinic as soon as possible to ensure all requirements are met and the travel of their animal with them isn't delayed.

It's also cheaper for military members and their families to have their pets seen at the vet clinic. Colonel Sutherland said if a family chooses to go through the process with a civilian vet, they could spend anywhere from $300 to $1,300. At Sheppard's clinic, the cost is about $150 from beginning to end. The clinic can also provide a health certificate free of charge, where as it would cost $110 to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture verify a certificate from a civilian vet.

The colonel said it comes down to a simple solution.

"For military people, all items have to be done by a military vet," she said.

For more information, call Sheppard's veterinary clinic at 676-6883. The clinic is open Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. - noon.