Capt. Lauren Johnston stepped into the role of Officer in Charge of Yuma’s Veterinary Section in August 2024. Johnston previously worked at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs for a year, performing veterinary work.
Johnston is a West Coast native. She grew up in Northern California and graduated from UC Davis Veterinary School. Her interest in infectious diseases, she says, “mostly involving the spread from animals to humans,” is what led her to join the field. Johnston adds, “The Army is an excellent place to be able to explore that.”
Johnston is committed to serving the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) community and surrounding areas for the next three years. The YPG and Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma (MCAS-Yuma) community spent several months without a vet. She is making more appointments available for surgeries and dental needs to meet the community’s needs. Plans are in the works to restart services at MCAS-Yuma.
She also plans to do community outreach. In fact, the clinic recently held a rabies vaccine clinic for two local tribes, vaccinating over 160 pets over the course of two days.
“That was a really awesome experience, getting to work with the tribe members, see the tribal community, and witness how much of an impact we can have locally.”
Despite arriving in the middle of Yuma’s heatwave, Johnston is enjoying her time at YPG.
“I love it, I love the heat!” she adds, “being so close to California and to home is so important to me.”
YPG Veterinary Clinic, Building: 226
Open, Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed for lunch from 12-1 p.m.
Closed, Saturday, Sunday and Thursday
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