Article Display

Vet cares for Shaw pets

  • Published
  • By Airman Nicole Sikorski
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Held by a leash or in a pet carrier, pets sit in the waiting room of the Shaw veterinary clinic.

The veterinary clinic provides basic preventative medication and minor sick call for cats and dogs of active-duty servicemembers and retirees.  Roughly 70 to 100 patients per week are treated at Shaw.

The clinic also also works closely with the 20th Security Forces Squadron military working dogs to ensure their health and readiness to deploy.

"My favorite part about being a military vet is the working dogs," said U.S. Army Capt. Emily Pearman, Fort Gordon Public Health Command district veterinarian.  "  Especially when you send them off to deploy and you see them return in good health.  I also enjoy seeing them get adopted and go off to a life on the couch."

The clinic also prepares pets to move overseas and provides eduation to pet owners about rabies.

The clinic currently employs one active-duty officer veterinarian.  Pearman is the first military vet assigned to Shaw since the clinic opened in Feb. of 2011.  The rest of the staff are civilians and two active-duty enlisted veterinarian technicians.  Due to the limited amount of veterinarians  and veterinarian technicians in the Air Force, the Army often provides veterinarians and technicians to work on Air Force bases.

According to Pearman, pet owners on Shaw greatly value the health of their animals.

"As a vet on Shaw, it is rewarding to see how much other people appreciate their pets, and how much they make them a member of the family," Pearman said.

Pets are not considered dependents, therefore the pharmacy does not provide their medications.  If a medication is available at the Shaw clinic, Pearman will prescribe it for patients.  If it is not carried, patients may use an online pharmacy.

The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for over the counter sales by appointment only.  On Wednesday the clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for clinic days.  On Thursday it is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for surgeries.