Sgt. Jade Baxter gives a checkup in June 2024 to Laila, a military working dog assigned to Naval Base Ventura County, Calif. An order temporarily halting the use of government purchase cards has affected the ability of base veterinary clinics to order certain supplies, medications and testing for service members’ pets and military working dogs. (John Cason/U.S. Navy)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Service members may need an off-base veterinarian to obtain medications for their pets and to get rabies testing completed for international moves, following a freeze on federal government purchase cards that is affecting military veterinary clinics.
Base clinics have alerted service members that supply orders, medicine and certain testing services were affected by the freeze, which restricts civilian use of the credit cards to mission-essential needs.
Civilians at the clinics also are unable to use the credit cards to purchase medications for military working dogs under the Pentagon order, which was issued in March to comply with an executive order aimed at federal cost efficiency.
“The Veterinary Treatment Facilities are working with their respective commander to continue services and work around purchasing restrictions,” Michelle Thum, a Public Health Command Europe spokeswoman, said Friday in a statement.
The freeze means that at commands like U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, home to tens of thousands of service members, civilians and family members, military personnel will need to travel longer distances to get veterinary care if the rural villages surrounding Army training grounds aren’t able to accommodate them.
The credit card freeze for both government purchase and travel cards applies to stateside and overseas on-base veterinary facilities, Thum said.
Tests such as the rabies antibody titer are required for many pets before a permanent change of station to locations such as Japan, Guam, South Korea or Hawaii, according to Thum.
The government purchase card freeze does not apply to active-duty military members. However, most service members do not have the purchase cards, which require bookkeeping and training on spending regulations before issue.
It was unclear Friday how common it is for active-duty members to hold government purchase cards at veterinary clinics, which vary in size.
The government credit card freeze is in effect for 30 days, according to the order. It’s unclear whether the order will be extended.
“Currently, guidance is changing constantly but our staff is working relentlessly to provide the best care to our military working dogs and privately owned animals,” Thum said.
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