Government Freeze Causes Chaos for Military Pet Care and Working Dogs!

A recent government freeze on credit card usage has thrown military veterinary clinics into disarray, impacting the care of service members' pets and military working dogs. This temporary halt, initiated by an executive order aimed at federal cost efficiency, has caused a major disruption in base veterinary services, leaving military families scrambling for alternatives.

For service members who rely on on-base veterinary services, the freeze means a struggle to obtain essential medications, pet supplies, and even necessary testing like rabies antibody titers, required for international relocations. With these services on hold, military families may have to seek care from off-base veterinarians, sometimes at great distances from their duty stations.

The freeze, which began in March, restricts civilian use of government purchase cards, limiting them to mission-critical needs. As a result, base veterinary clinics, including those for military working dogs, have been unable to order medications and testing supplies needed for routine and emergency care. The freeze applies to both stateside and overseas on-base veterinary facilities.

“Veterinary Treatment Facilities are actively working with commanders to find alternative solutions around the restrictions,” says Michelle Thum, a Public Health Command Europe spokesperson. But for rural bases like U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, where the nearest off-base vet may be far away, this poses a serious challenge to military personnel seeking urgent care for their animals.

The freeze doesn’t apply to active-duty military members who may need to purchase supplies, but the process for issuing purchase cards to service members is complicated and requires training. It's still unclear how many military members hold the purchase cards at veterinary clinics, making it difficult to gauge the overall impact.

While the freeze is expected to last for 30 days, it’s uncertain if it will be extended. As military personnel and their pets face these challenges, veterinary staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure that both privately owned animals and military working dogs receive the care they need.

Service members are urged to plan ahead for their pets' needs and remain flexible as the situation evolves.