Kirtland Animal Treatment Facility

Staff Sgt. Michael Emerson, a military working dog handler in the 377th Security Forces Squadron, holds MWD Saxo as U.S. Army Capt. Tracy Brown, a veterinarian at the Kirtland Animal Treatment Facility, checks his heart and lungs. The primary mission of the treatment facility is to care for the base's military working dogs. (Photo by Meredith Mingledorff)

Kirtland's veterinary clinic: the cat is out of the bag

Published Nov. 25, 2014
By 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Most real estate agents will gladly repeat the saying about the three most important things about buying or selling a house being location, location and location. The same, apparently, is true for the difficult-to-locate Kirtland Veterinary Treatment Facility.

Airman 1st Class Alex Greenawalt -- who recently adopted Lewbowski, a mixed-breed dog -- managed to find the treatment facility without issue. He said he was glad he took his new pup there for a health and wellness exam.

"I never even considered another clinic," Greenawalt said. "The on-base vet is convenient and the price is right. The staff here is great and they take great care of us."

The clinic can be hard to find if members don't know where to look, though, according to Army Capt. Tracy Brown, one of the staff veterinarians.

"We have a lot of available appointments," Brown said. "Our services are under-used, and I suspect part of the reason is our location. We're tucked behind the Base Exchange, and people don't really know we're back here."

Kristy Stone-Garcia, registered veterinary technician who has been with clinic for 10 years, says taking care of the military police working dogs is the highlight of her duty days.

"I love serving our military and am grateful to get to come to work on base each day," Stone-Garcia said. "But the real passion for me is taking care of our military working dogs. To know who they are and what they do for our country makes me so proud of the work we do here."

Anyone with a valid military identification card may use the services of the clinic. They offer annual exams, vaccinations, microchips, domestic and international health certificates, medications, laboratory tests, x-rays, sick calls, dental cleanings, and surgeries, including spaying and neutering.

The facility, located at 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and offers services by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 846-4276 or 846-4280. Pets kept in base housing must be registered with the Kirtland Veterinary Treatment Facility.