Dog Bite Awareness

An age-old game of cat and mouse between postal service carriers and dogs is more true than many might think.

In 2019, there was a total of 5,803 U.S. Postal Service employees across the nation attacked by dogs, including three in Orem, one in Provo, two in Santaquin and one in Spanish Fork.

Last year was the second year in a row that the number of dog attacks on Postal Service letter carriers dropped. In 2018, more than 200 more mail carriers were attacked by dogs compared to last year’s numbers, and two years before than in 2017, more than 400 more were attacked.

“Even during these difficult times, it’s important for our customers to understand that letter carriers are still coming to homes daily and need to deliver mail safely,” safety awareness program manager Chris Johnson said in a statement.

While the number of Postal Service employees attacked by dogs has significantly decreased, the organization is taking time to educate patrons about ways to minimize risk for letter carriers during National Dog Bite Awareness Week.

Christopher Reid has worked with the Postal Service in Orem for over 15 years. Starting as a clerk, Reid made the transition to letter carrier 2 years ago and has loved it ever since.

“I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else,” he said. “I love the time I get to spend outside in the fresh air and getting to talk with so many different people.”

Of all of the hazards involved in performing his daily tasks, the one that Reid runs into the most, he said, is dogs.

Throughout his time as a letter carrier, Reid said his experiences with most dogs and their owners has been respectful.

Reid had heard and seen the aftermath of dog attacks in the past, but he hadn’t had his own experiences until months into working his routes.

On the afternoon of Black Friday in 2019, Reid was wrapping up his routes when he stopped at a home to pick up a parcel from a mailbox that was mounted to the residence.

“I guess the woman thought I was her husband coming home, so she opened the door,” he said. “Before we could do anything, the dog just went straight around and bit me on the leg.”

It was only a matter of moments before the woman was able to gain control of her dog and take him back inside, but it was long enough for Reid to be wary when approaching other residences.

In an effort to protect its letter carriers, the Postal Service has mandatory training to help its employees know what to do and when to leave.

“It’s just being aware of your surroundings and trying to be safe,” Reid said.

Letter carriers are trained to rattle fences or gates in an attempt to check if a dog is present and out of sight before entering a yard to drop off or pick up mail. Employees are also advised not to deliver or pick up mail if they feel threatened by a dog, whether that dog is restrained or not.

The Postal Service will then contact the homeowner to schedule times to pick up or drop off their mail at a post office facility until the letter carrier is assured that the pet has been restrained.

Furthermore, if a pet frequently roams the neighborhood and the letter carrier feels threatened, neighbors of the dog’s owner may also be asked to pick up and drop off their mail at a facility.

There are a number of ways that residents can help minimize letter carriers’ risk of being attacked by a dog.

When a letter carrier arrives to deliver to or pick up mail at a residence, homeowners should place their pets in a separate room with the door closed before opening the front door, Reid said. This is because dogs have been known to burst through screen or glass doors to attack letter carriers.

Additionally, parents should remind their children and other family members not to accept mail from letter carriers in the presence of a family pet as a dog may view a U.S. Postal Service employee as a threatening presence.

“The dog could see that as a hostile action and come and charge us, as well,” Reid said. “Normally, we’re not supposed to hand mail to children anyway, but we don’t necessarily hand it to any family member if there’s a dog out.”

Technology is also helping carriers stay safe while completing their routes. Mobile delivery services, which involved the handheld scanners carriers use to confirm customer deliveries, include a feature that allows others to indicate the presence of a dog at an individual’s address.

Another software, called the Informed Delivery, alerts residents that mail is on the way to their homes, which allows the residents time to plan for the carrier’s arrival by securing their dogs in another room.

Reid said, through everything, he does not blame dogs for wanting to protect their homes and families, but dog owners should be aware of these behaviors to ensure the safety of all of those involved letter and package hand offs.

Puppies In Coventry

Does looking after a puppy sound like the ideal way to spend the next 12 months? Then this dog charity could have the perfect job for you.

Dogs for Good is appealing for volunteers in Coventry  for ‘puppy socialisers’ to assist in training service dogs.

The charity provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities and families who have a child with autism.

They are looking for Warwickshire volunteers to look after a puppy for 12 to 16 months, and getting them used to everyday situations.

The role involves taking the pooch to supermarkets, on public transport and visiting restaurants after lockdown.

Puppy socialisers are also tasked with getting the puppy used to traffic, crossing roads, visiting crowded and rural areas – plus anything else they may encounter as a working dog.

The charity is searching for people with lots of time on their hands for the next year and a half to help with this vital training. Helen Townsend from Lighthorne, Warwickshire, started as a volunteer puppy socialiser with Dogs for Good and socialised six puppies.

She went on to become a full-time puppy socialising coordinator for the charity and looks after 31 puppies and their socialisers in the West Midlands.

She said: “There’s a real sense of pride when you see your dog that you’ve had from eight weeks going out and giving somebody independence. It just makes you really, really proud.

“During the first year of a puppy’s life you have all the fun and get the chance to meet lots of new people and find out what the charity is all about.

“It’s nice to feel you are part of the bigger family at Dogs for Good and to know you are doing something worthwhile. It’s also great to see the end result.”

Helen’s children were five and seven when she began puppy socialising but she says they always understood they couldn’t keep the puppies forever.

She added: “Socialising puppies has been a good life lesson for my children. They saw they were part of a bigger picture and felt good about doing something to help people who really need an assistance dog.”

“They loved the cute puppy stage but knew they would leave one day to become working dogs.

“We’ve always had other pet dogs so when the puppies left we had other dogs which made it easier for them.”

Although no experience is necessary, puppy socialisers are required to meet the following criteria:

You should live within one of Dogs for Good specified puppy scheme areas

You have a fully-fenced safe and secure garden

You are away from the puppy for no more than two hours (in the first few weeks) and four hours (for the remaining time you have the puppy) per day

Have no more than two existing pet dogs

Able to spend some time every day on activities to socialise the puppy

You are able to provide the puppy with regular contact with children, other dogs and cats.

Pensioner Jean Darlaston, from Sutton Coldfield has been socialising puppies for 24 years – and has just taken on her 20th pooch.

The 73-year-old said: “The house felt empty after my children went to university so when I found out about the puppy socialiser role I thought this is something I could do.

“It gave me a purpose in life, got my brain back into action, and keeps me active.

“Handing them back is never very nice but in your head it’s never your dog and you’re doing it to help someone else who needs them much more than you do.

“I really love doing it. I feel privileged to have these gorgeous puppies and to see them being partnered with people who really benefit from having them.”

Due to current social distancing rules Dogs for Good is unable to give its usual face-to-face support but they will need to conduct a home check via video link. Telephone and online support will also be available with videos to demonstrate certain activities.

Therapy Dogs

The South Attleboro Village Lions Club not only received nine new human members on Saturday afternoon, but their four-legged friends as well during a ceremony at the outdoor chapel at LaSalette Shrine.

The recent inductees of the Lions, and their canine service partners, are part of the Southeastern Massachusetts Paws of Comfort, a new branch club of the Lions and the first of its kind in the history of the non-profit organization.

During Saturday’s ceremony at the shrine, which was chosen for its accommodating outdoor venue during the COVID-19 regulations, the service dogs seemed just as excited to be a part of the clubs’ new venture as their owners.

“For us, it’s extremely exciting and fulfilling for what we see as a longtime need in our community,” said Kathy Salem, the past district governor of District 33S of Massachusetts. “There’s a real need for comfort and support for individuals of traumas, accidents, disabilities and illness.”

Salem was quick to point out that the Paws of Comfort’s services are not limited to just a single community. This new branch will be able to assist “across a whole area” of southeastern Massachusetts, from Abington through Attleboro and into Provincetown.

“Our motto is, ‘We serve,’” Salem said. “It’s a great way to continue to show that kindness matters, and as Lions, we’re here to reach out to help in whatever way we can.”

The 12 dogs, which are of various sizes and breeds, are not so much “working dogs,” but rather dogs which provide comfort to anyone who needs it.

The idea to form the unique branch came from Lions members Debbie Horner and Monique Tedino, both of whom attended a seminar to learn about forming branch specialty clubs in Cheshire, Conn.

Horner and Tedino’s idea was readily supported by Gail Girard, president of the South Attleboro Village Lions.

“I think it’s a great idea to help us build and grow and to provide support to others in the other areas who need it,” Girard said. “We live in a fragmented and disjointed society, however one thing we can all depend on is a dog.”

The service dogs and their owners received prayers and a blessing from the Rev. Trey Crespo and the Rev. Flavio Gillio.

Other speakers at the event included Lions District Governor John Babb; Dr. Tony Salvatore of Bristol, Conn.; and Karen Downey, the principal of Conley Elementary School in Whitman. Both Downey and Salvatore testified to the benefits of having therapy dogs in school classrooms.

Hearing Guide Dog

Shay’s suit has two components: a red vest with “Lion’s Foundation of Canada Dog Guides [LFCDG] Hearing Dog Guide” written on it and a head harness called a Halti. The Halti looks a bit like a muzzle but doesn’t prevent Shay from opening her mouth as widely as she wants. With the leash connected to the Halti and the collar, I can feel where Shay is turning her head even when I’m not looking at her. Thus, I am aware of her reacting to sounds beside and behind me—even when I cannot hear them—and this gives me a sense of security that I have not known since my first hearing loss when I was four years old.

Gaining more confidence in moving through the world is an aspect of having a Dog Guide that I never anticipated. Having coped with my disability since I was small, I thought I was fine. I did not realize how very constantly I was on the alert, always trying to use my other senses to compensate for the enormous gap where hearing ought to be. When I was a child, I saw a poster at the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing that showed the words “Silence is golden.” “Golden” was crossed out and replaced with “lonely” and “isolating.” Even then, the truth of this correction struck me viscerally.

Since I learned to speak before my hearing loss (no hearing in my left ear, moderate to severe loss in my right ear), my voice does not reflect that loss. People therefore tend to assume the loss is minor and treat me accordingly, even when I tell them that I’m hearing impaired. Naturally, this leads to misunderstandings. Much more emotionally challenging for me, though, is the everyday experience of feeling excluded and isolated. For 55-odd years, I’ve relied on lip-reading and guesswork and this extra layer of effort is literally exhausting.

With Shay dressed for work and by my side, people actually believe me when I say that I can’t hear. When I tell them that I need to read their lips, they remember more often to look at me when they speak, and they’re more accommodating when I ask them to repeat something for the third or fourth time. They’re also less likely to think me stupid or rude for not understanding them the first time. For me, the difference is astounding and somehow liberating. And it’s all because of Shay.

The bulk of Shay’s work, though, happens at home where she remains on duty even though she’s not in her suit. She alerts me to sounds like the doorbell, door knocking, timers, my morning alarm, my phone, the fire alarm, and someone calling my name. For all but the fire alarm, she gets my attention by placing her paw on me, then leading me to the sound’s source. For the fire alarm, since I wouldn’t want her to lead me into a fire , she instead spins around three times. Now I’m more comfortable in my own home, another thing that I hadn’t realized was possible. Sometimes we play a game where I or someone in my family hides the timer in an unexpected place and Shay has a wonderful time searching it out. She’s so proud of herself when she finds it! And of course she gets big treats. As our wonderful instructors at Dog Guides Canada said, “We work for money; they work for treats,” which really isn’t so different when you think about it.

Shay does love her treats and is very clear about her favourite ones. The ball—a particular ball that’s chewable but bounces well—is up near the top. And grooming is a frequent highlight, since she must be as clean and presentable as possible when we’re out in public.

We share work and playtime and walks and Shay loves her Shaymobile, the bike trailer in which she rides. Only when Shay is in her crate a couple of times a week does she have complete time off. In this way, Shay’s life is a bit different from some of the other Dog Guides trained at LFCDG, like the vision ones whose primary work is outside the home.

In addition to Hearing Dog Guides, LFCDG trains Vision, Seizure Response, Service, Autism Assistance, Diabetic Alert and Facility Support Dog Guides. Their policy is no force-based training, and this gentle, loving, consistent approach is reflected in all the people who give their time and love to breeding, fostering and training the dogs, who grow into happy, enthusiastic canine citizens whether they graduate from Dog Guide training or become family dogs instead. LFCDG relies on corporate and private donations to fulfill its mission of assisting Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them Dog Guides at no cost. Since the actual cost of training a Dog Guide is $25,000, this is quite a feat. This year, LFCDG’s main annual fundraiser raised one-sixth of what it normally raises, so the deadline has been extended and the goal revised dramatically downward. If you’re able and interested, please do donate to support this work which makes such a very great difference in the lives of so many people. Shay and I are registered as a participant, so you can donate via us if you wish.

Since Shay and I go everywhere together, our lives are now so intertwined that we know each other’s rhythms intimately. It’s an interesting partnership in which Shay knows that, when it comes to sound, she takes the lead and I follow. Her confidence in her hearing and my trust in her build upon each other. Yet, close as we are, Shay is not my dog. Remember that $25,000 cost to train a Dog Guide? LFCDG retains ownership of its dogs so that they can re-home a dog should they judge that its skills are not being used or it is being ill-treated. Oddly, for me, this fact is a reminder of how very lucky I am to love and work with this tremendously talented canine companion whose skills and devotion expand my world.

Therapy Dog Teams

They usually can be found every day of the week, making the rounds at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC), visiting patients and staff, bringing joy and comfort – on four legs. The Therapy Dog program returned for one day this past week, meeting staff at the hospital entrances to honor the service of first responders to this community.

The arguably very popular Therapy Dog program at  HRRMC had to be temporarily discontinued when the coronavirus pandemic known as COVID-19 arrived. The crisis arrived with a host of unknowns for medical care facilities to deal with and placing animals and their handlers in patient areas had to be halted.

In addition to postponing elective surgeries and other services, the hospital enacted strict protocols for infection prevention and sanitation procedures. It limited exposure for employees and access by the public, along with use of personal protective gear, such as masks and gloves.

While the Therapy Dog program is still on hold, several of the volunteer program participants wanted to join in the continuing community support for healthcare heroes shown over the past three months.

So on June 15, a number of the volunteers and their dogs gathered at the employee entrance of the hospital to express their appreciation with colorful signs and of course, their friendly, affectionate canines.

The program, administered by Volunteer Coordinator Kimla Robinson, has been running since 2007 and dogs have to be certified by Pet Partners and Therapy Dogs International. Dogs and their handlers have to be reliably trained and current on all immunizations.

As employees ended or arrived for their shifts at the hospital, they were greeted by sign slogans such as “We Howl for Healthcare Heroes,” “Woof You and Miss You,” “Pawsing to Thank You for All You Do,” “Bow Wow Equals Thank You,” “Hugs 4 Healthcare,” and simply “Thank You.”

The dogs did their part, of course, showing affection to the workers as they received behind-the-ear scratches and praise. Each dog also received a bag of treats from Medical Records staff by way of returning the kind gesture.

Robinson said while it’s unknown how long before the canine therapy teams can return, they are missed by staff, and were cheered by the gesture.

Sovereign Dog Training

Lockdown, in wake of COVID-19, has brought pets and their owners closer than ever. As the society gets accustomed to the new normal, our pets are trying hard too, to adapt to the world that is changing every single day. Now with the Unlocking 0.1 underway, while you are getting ready to get back to your life, as it was before the Corona outbreak, have you thought about how your pet needs to be trained to adapt to the new normal? The best way to care for your pet’s mental wellbeing and to train them well for the post-COVID-19 world is to take him to the Sovereign Dog Training School. The School’s motto is “You & Your Dog deserve the best!”

The Dog Training School

Sovereign Dog Training School is a full-service dog training facility that specializes in obedience training, agility and behavior modification. The man behind this school is Sandeep Lad. Sandeep is the Training Director, Founder and Owner of the School and he possesses 18+ years of extensive and diverse experience of training dogs. He trains dogs in the privacy of a dog owner’s home/surroundings with minimal distractions and at a convenient time. Sandeep has worked with renowned dog trainers from the US, Europe, which helped him learn new techniques and keep himself updated in this field. He also attends various seminars to keep adding to his knowledge trove. Sandeep’s calm & cool approach, coupled with his patience and a good sense of humor, makes the training sessions a breeze for your pet.

Guidance & Structure

Sandeep has trained more than 1800 dogs of different breeds and has solved more than 10,000 small or and big behaviour related issues in his career. He has also educated more than 25000 pet owners. This experience has led him to develop a personalized, creative and distinguished program to motivate & stimulate your dog. The dog is trained to learn commands in a gentle, relaxed, and unhurried manner. Sandeep can train dogs of any age and breed. His training sessions are customized, enjoyable and fun for the furry friends and focus on its mental, physical and emotional stimulation. The training program contains private dog training sessions too. The main purpose of Sandeep’s training schedule is to create effective strategies to help dog owners as well as the whole family to feel comfortable and confident around their pet.

Dog Training Certifications

Sandeep is the first Indian trainer whose trained dog was adjudged “Canine Good Citizen” with a certificate from the FCI (Kennel Club of India). He is also the first Indian dog trainer whose trained dog participated in the International Sport Dog called B or BH Begleithunde – a combination of temperament & obedience tests. This is a preliminary, perquisite test for a dog, who passes it to get his/her IGP/Schutzhund titles. So, if you are interested in working the man’s best friend and train it as well, the Sovereign Dog Training School also provides comprehensive Professional Dog Training Certifications.

People With Disabilities

An online webinar on upholding the rights of people with disabilities during COVID-19 sparked discussion about the unique impact of the pandemic on the community. On June 16, over 100 attendees participated via Zoom.

The two-hour discussion was held by Jewelles Smith, the Kwantlen Student Association’s policy and political affairs coordinator.

“As a woman with a disability and the past chair (two days now) of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities … and as a trained human rights monitor — this is a personal issue to me,” Smith wrote in an email to The Runner. “I have 15 years of working in human rights and policy especially focused on legislation policy for people living with disabilities.”

One of the panellists was Heather Walkus, the co-chair of the National Coalition of People Who Use Guide and Service Dogs. Eileen Davidson, a rheumatoid arthritis patient advocate, also spoke on the panel.

Senior Policy Analyst Miles Stratholt was also a guest panellist. He works for the Targeted Learners Support Unit of the Provincial Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills, and Training.

Smith says that there has been a lot of conversation online in the community of people with disabilities regarding the extra costs they will have to expend to adjust to social distancing rules.

“One of the costs that I am already thinking ahead to is the retraining aspect of my animal when things start to open up,” says Smith.

Stratholt says COVID-19 has also disproportionately impacted university students with disabilities.

“With the social distancing involved and the lack of mobility for students … students may not have access to disability support staff at the institution level,” he says.

Stratholt has been actively working with institutions and service providers to try to develop strategies that improve students’ working conditions during the pandemic.

Smith says she has heard from KPU professors who are trying to learn about offering accessibility and support because many of them are not used to teaching online.

“How do we support professors in order to teach in an accessible manner from their homes?” she asks.

During the discussion, Walkus mentioned how historically society isn’t built with all people in mind.

“Certainly cross-disability, we were not supposed to be in public, you know? There was almost a shame … of the family system if they had a child who had a disability,” says Walkus.

She says the disability community is working to unlearn this way of thinking and to dismantle negative biases against people with disabilities.

People with disabilities do not have a specific section of accomodations in the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. On June 11, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer accused one another of blocking the emergency disability benefit, but no new initiatives have been announced.

According to the Canadian Press, Trudeau promised a one-time, tax-free benefit of up to $600 for people with disabilities.

When the pandemic hit, Walkus says support immediately went to people without disabilities,  “but no one started to think about all the people who are pushed to the margins.”

“People with disabilities didn’t fit [into] the system already but were even more disenfranchised from the system of support,” she says. “And all these months in, we still are.”

Local Therapy Pups

You may have seen them on our Facebook page in the comments section – if you haven’t you’re definitely missing out.

Heather McShane, long-time area resident has a family of three highly trained little doggo tricksters: Shadow, Bella and Rex.

Not only do they do tricks, but they’re therapy dogs too.

McShane, a first grade teacher and Publix employee, rescued all three pups and enrolled them in The GO TEAM Therapy Dogs training.

“My family has always loved animals and I’ve always grown up with animals,” said McShane. “Thanks to Shadow, we had to venture into dog training and our dog training group is linked to a therapy dog group.”

Being the animal lover that she is, it’s hard for McShane to pass up a pup with potential. Shadow, McShane’s eldest, was adopted after Shadow’s owner passed away. Needless to say, Shadow was a little moody at first.

“He wasn’t fond of people or other dogs or much of anything. He used to be super aggressive and possessive. Now, thanks to great training, he is at least 9 years old, a certified therapy dog, a trick dog, fat and happy,” said McShane.

“The GO TEAM Therapy Dogs program is a nationwide program that is dedicated to placing well-trained, certified therapy dog teams in programs that provide comfort and caring through a canine-human bond,” according to their website.

McShane belongs to the local Tampa Bay Chapter.

“As we continued to become more and more involved [with the chapter], we learned about the trick dog tests. I liked it all so much I became a CGC [Canine Good Citizen] Evaluator,” said McShane. “It’s such a difference what a well-trained dog can do – so we love showcasing that!”

Bella is a seven-year-old intermediate trick dog. Her favorite trick is “placing” on various objects, according to McShane. Placing involves your dog sitting and placing their front legs onto a prop before dropping their head.

“Bella also has a huge amount of confidence,” said McShane, “and after some support she has learned to jump on/off on her own.”

Rex on the other hand is brand new to training.

“Due to his previous background, he needed lots of obedience work, adjusting, and confidence boosters,” explained McShane. “Rex recently passed his therapy dog test in March and will be pursuing Trick Dog titles when arrangements can be made around COVID-19 restrictions.”

Although passing therapy dog testing isn’t a requirement to become a trick dog, it does have its benefits. According to the American Kennel Club’s trick dog checklist, a pup who has previously earned their CGC only has to complete five tricks, instead of ten, to be considered a “novice” trickster.

Rescue Dog And First Responders

Veterinary Clinic

If you have pets on Okinawa or if you are a Military Working Dog (MWD) Handler, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, or Air Force, you are likely very familiar with the U.S. Army Vet clinic here.
The Army is the only branch of the military which provides veterinary services.
“We actually provide medical care for military working dogs (MWD) for all the branches,” said Sgt. Carlos Torres, a veterinary technician at the clinic. “We do see personal animals as well, not just MWDs. We do everything from vaccines to sick call appointments, to major surgeries like knee repairs or internal surgery. We also inspect animals at the high school or Child Development Centers just to make sure they are not carrying any transmissible diseases. In addition, our team plays a large role in food safety on island and inspects food establishments all over the island.”
Accomplishing all this in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented some challenges.
“COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the mission,” Torres said. “We are still caring for MWDs, they are Soldiers and they get the same treatment as we would. Any kind of treatment they need, any time of the day, weekends, we are here to see them. As far as our other services, everything has been pretty much halted. Currently we are only doing health certificates for patients that are flying off island. There are still some people that are PCSing, or retirees that have to leave island.”
Staffing at the clinic normally consists of a mix of Soldiers, local national employees and about 20 DA civilians, but again the pandemic changed that. Once the restrictions and increased Health Protection Conditions were set, it became just the Soldiers and MLC employees
“When this started we went down to six Soldiers,” Torres said. “Now the restrictions are starting to ease up a little bit, so a few of the NAF (Non-Appropriated Fund) employees are working in the front of the clinic; but initially to keep the risk down everyone stayed home.”
The clinic introduced tele-health appointments for quarantine exams and select sick calls. Doctors are able to interact with clients and patients over video to help accommodate patients who could not come into the clinic. These are not as effective as face to face appointments but are helping serve the community during COVID.
“With the COVID-19, we appreciate everybody being so patient. A lot of people have had to go out into town for care. We definitely want to say thank you to all our clients and patients for understanding it’s out of our hands. We’re doing the best we can because they deserve that.
“One bright spot as PCS season heats back up is our availability of health certificate appointments. The restrictions on routine pet visits means a larger percentage of health certificate availability. This should make it easier for pet owners to get appointments for health certificates as they PCS.”
There are some things that people can do to help make the pet portion of their PCS move easier.
“We have a lot of our information posted on our Facebook page, and you can message us there as well said Torres. “Our phone lines are always available for anyone who has questions about PCSing. We definitely ask that as soon as you know that you are PCSing that they contact us and we’ll give them all the information that they need.
“The phones do get very busy so it can be hard to get through, but we check our email account daily. We have instructional memos and PCS ‘good to know’ information, that we hand out as well.”
As the military staff here are Soldiers, they show a lot of dedication to taking care of the 4-legged Soldiers who are their primary mission.
“For us in uniform, the most interesting part of working here is taking care of the Military Working Dogs, Torres confirmed. “You know a lot of the time you see the handler and dog waking around, and people would like to pet the dog and of course you can’t. But when they come in here you can see you can see what awesome canines they are, so well trained and so easy to work with. The handlers tell them to sit and they just stay there so we can do our checks. The MWDs and the handlers, working with them is just an awesome experience.”
But while enjoyable, being the only military veterinary clinic on the island has its drawbacks.
“The hardest part of being here, specifically here in Okinawa, is the workload,” he explained. “We have about 15,000 patients. We have about 65 working dogs as well, so that workload is very tough. But everyone that works here, we definitely look out for each other. We get the job done but it can get little hectic.”
You can contact the clinic by dialing DSN phone on island.
The Okinawa Veterinary Activity, part of the Army Medical Command’s Army Public Health Center, provides exceptional quality of life to Military Working Dogs and privately owned pets through compassionate medical and preventative care as a full service veterinary clinic. We are dedicated to outstanding customer service and client education with the help of military, civilian, and local national employees.