Lackland Air Base in Texas recently opened a $13 million building (your tax dollars at work!) which houses a vet hospital for military working dogs.  This building replaces the previous home of the hospital which was built in 1968.

The 30,000 square-foot facility houses 7,000 square feet of administrative space and 23,000 square feet dedicated to canine care.  The mission of the hospital is not to treat dogs injured in the line of duty, but rather to screen dogs as they enter training.

The Air Force evaluates prospective working dogs as to their abilities, drive, and intelligence.  Then the Army’s veterinarians take over, looking for any hip dysplasia, as well as drawing blood to make sure the dogs are basically healthy.  Both branches of the service, as well as the Transportation Security Agency, work out of the new building.

“We have a very high-tech facility here,” said Colonel Vogelsang, director of the facility. “When we got our CT, it was actually better than the one at Wilford Hall [ the medical facility at Lackland].  I don’t know if they’ve gotten a better one now, but between the Air Force and the TSA, we have a very nice facility.”

It’s good to see dogs being treated so well.  The government seems to have figured out it makes a massive investment in training these dogs, so it’s good that they are spending some money to properly screen them.

Until next time,

Good day, and good dog!