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OKINAWA, Japan - As service members execute permanent change of station orders off Okinawa, stress levels can rise during the checkout process.
With this increased stress, certain things that should be completed before leaving can get ignored. While service members would never leave their children behind, that is not always the case for their pets.
“I don’t think anyone wants to leave their pets behind, (maybe) it is just laziness,” said Tami L. Lucht, acting facilities chief, Department of Defense housing office at Kadena Air Base. “The best advice I can give to service members is don’t put it off until the last minute. If you get in contact with your veterinary clinic, they can answer all your questions and get you the help you need.”
All pets on Okinawa owned by U.S. service members or status of forces agreement personnel must have a microchip implanted in order to assist in the returning of lost pets and to decrease incidents of pet abandonment, according to the DOD’s joint service pet policy for all military family housing on Okinawa.
“After we scan the microchips, we bring the stray animals to Karing Kennels on Kadena Air Base,” said Hitoshi Maekawa, a supervisor at the animal control office on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.
Service members who abandon their pets and are still on Okinawa are given a warning and charged applicable kennel fees on first offense, according to Maekawa.
For service members who abandon their pets and have left the island, the punishment is determined by their old chain of command, which can notify the service member’s new chain of command, according to Army Maj. Olivia Price, a surgeon with Okinawa Branch Veterinary Services.
Service members abandoning their pets not only have a negative effect on the animals, but also the environment.
“It (creates) a bad circle of events,” said Maekawa. “People who leave their pets behind create strays. Those strays mate with other strays (increasing the stray population).”
If service members come across a stray animal, they should not attempt to apprehend it themselves, but call animal control immediately.
“You never know if a stray animal has up-to-date vaccinations,” said Maekawa. “Service members shouldn’t have to fear stray animals running around. We all have to do our part to keep them off the streets.”
While the number of strays per month is decreasing compared to last year, there is still room for improvement in the community, according to Maekawa.
If service members utilize available resources, getting their pets off Okinawa can be a quick and easy process.
“Pet ownership is a big responsibility, and traveling with that pet is part of the owner’s responsibility,” said Price. “If a family decides that they cannot PCS with their pets, they need to do the right thing and turn that animal in to a stray facility (or veterinary clinic) or find it a suitable home so it can be properly cared for. Abandoning pets is cruel and inhumane because domestic animals cannot fend for themselves, and many become injured or starve to death on the streets.”
For more information, contact the Kadena Veterinary Clinic at 632-7379 or Karing Kennels at 959-4062.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2012 20:16 |
| Story ID: | 92951 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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