Post policy, New database helps pet owners comply

By Gabrielle KuholskiMay 27, 2014

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1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This 3-week-old foster kitten is not yet ready for adoption, but when he is ready, and if he finds his way to a Family on post, he will need to be registered with the Veterinary Treatment Facility to comply with post pet policy. All on-post pets must... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – From left, Sgt. Lesley Ogle, Veterinary Treatment Facility noncommissioned officer in charge, prepares Kane for a heartworm test during a check-up as he is held by his owner, Staff Sgt. Marcus Summerour, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Ar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The Fort Huachuca Veterinary Treatment Facility, or VTF, reminds all pet owners of the importance of registering and micro-chipping their beloved four-legged friends and keeping vaccinations up-to-date.

Post policy states, "any animal living on the installation has to be micro-chipped, up-to-date on their core vaccines, and registered." Military personnel who fail to comply with this regulation are subject to judicial or non-judicial action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or appropriate administrative action.

"We've had a lot of pets that have been caught by the military police roaming post, and when they come in to see who they belong to, either they're not micro-chipped or their vaccinations are out of date," said Sgt. Lesley Ogle, VTF noncommissioned officer in charge.

The VTF hopes to make registering on-post animals easier with the introduction of a new database. Ogle explained it's an online system which can be found at every installation veterinary clinic. Now if an owner registers a pet and receives a permanent change of station to another installation, those records can still be accessed.

To ensure compliance with pet policies and the new online database, all installation pet owners must update the VTF with their pets' current information no later than July 31 using the Annex A form which can be obtained through each unit or delivered in person or via email to lesley.d.ogle.mil@mail.mil.

"To register a pet, we need the owner's information and specifically the sponsor's information, the unit name, the owner's address and a good phone number," Ogle said. "For the pets, we need the pet's name, the species, date of birth and what breed they are and we get them entered into the system."

For the rabies vaccinations, the clinic needs to have proof it was administered here. If the vaccination was done at an off-post clinic, there has to be a certificate on file showing the date it was given and there should also be a tag number on the paper.

The VTF is located at Building 3009 on Hungerford Road. Hours of Operation are Monday -- Friday, 8 a.m. -- 4 p.m., with the exception of Wednesday from 10 a.m. -- 4 p.m. For more information call 533.2767.