You've no doubt heard about the efforts of military veterinarians across the world. Working alongside the dogs that serve in the forces, treating and caring for the pets of serving personnel, and traveling the globe on humanitarian missions, their dedication to pets on every continent is not only heartening but also incredibly valuable to the communities that they visit and lend support to – be they military or civilian communities. No two days are ever the same for these tireless heroes, and we'd like to take a moment to show our appreciation for all that they do.
Recently we became aware of a mission being undertaken by the U.S. Army's Veterinary Corps and the NGP World Vets. Visiting Haiti on their last stop of a five-month tour of duty, the veterinarians were tasked with vaccinating, deworming, defleaing and spay/neutering dozens of dogs, including beloved pets and those living on the streets.
Alan De Herrera, a filmmaker and photojournalist, went along for the ride with NGO World Vets and members of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, and shared his travels with Dogster: "This was their last stop on an 11-country tour through Latin America as part of the U.S. Navy's 2015 Continuing Promise humanitarian mission." At each stop, the veterinarian team would assemble a makeshift surgery and urge the locals to bring forward their pets.
Major Marc Knobbe, the U.S. Army's lead veterinarian and head of the mission, was clear of its aims: "Haiti is a unique situation. There is no veterinary infrastructure here, even though there are an estimated 1.2 million dogs in Haiti."
As one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti doesn't have enough veterinarians, or resources, to treat pets sufficiently. However, there can be little doubt that Haiti's people love their pets.
We applaud the work of these veterinarians and the serving military veterinarians dedicating their lives to the pets around the world. Without their service, few pets in the poorest regions would ever receive the care they truly need.
Photo ©facebook.com/alandeherreraphotography
