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Frequently Asked Questions
- Does DODMWDVS conduct tours?
- I want to be a veterinarian or veterinary technician. Can I volunteer at the DODMWDVS for experience?
- How do I donate something for the dogs in the hospital?
- How many wounded dogs form OIF/OEF do you have at the hospital?
- How do I adopt a working dog?
- I heard that you need fosters for the puppy program. How do I become a foster?
- I am an active duty (or retired) service member. Can I bring my pet to the DODMWDVS for care?
- Does DODMWDVS conduct tours?
DODMWDVS does conduct tours of the facility, but these are at the request of the Lackland AFB Public Affairs office usually for DOD personnel requiring knowledge about working dog veterinary care. Tours for the general public are not conducted due the fact that DODMWDVS is a very busy working hospital and it is important not to interrupt the care of the dogs with tours.
- I want to be a veterinarian or veterinary technician. Can I volunteer at the DODMWDVS for experience?
Unfortunately, we cannot accept individuals for this type of experience. The hospital has a very high operational tempo and dogs can only be handled by personnel who have been trained to do so. All cleaning, grooming and exercising of dogs is performed by personnel under contract to the US Air Force and cannot be done by others.
- How do I donate something for the dogs in the hospital?
The dogs are well-cared for and do not require outside donations. However, deployed dogs and their handlers always welcome such items. Ways you may be able to find dog teams to support are to call a local military base and ask if they have deployed dog teams and get mailing addresses from the local kennel, or to search the internet for organizations that assist deployed dog teams. However, the DODMWDVS, US Army or Department of Defense do not endorse any such private organizations and cannot verify the legitimacy of such organizations.
- How many wounded dogs form OIF/OEF do you have at the hospital?
This question is asked quite often and the answer is usually none. Just as it is for people who are wounded in OIF/OEF, injured MWDs go to the nearest medical facility for emergency/resuscitative care. If they survive their injuries, but need more care, they are evacuated to the military veterinary hospital in Germany similar to people who also go to the large hospital at Landstuhl. If the dogs need other specialized care after that, such as long-term rehabilitation/physical therapy, they may come to the DODMWDVS.
- How do I adopt a working dog?
Please refer to our working dog adoption link.
- I heard that you need fosters for the puppy program. How do I become a foster?
Yes, the puppies bred at Lackland AFB do go to foster homes when satisfactory volunteers can be found. The program is usually in need of good foster homes, especially when litters are large and/or multiple litters arrive close together. The puppies are very cute, of course, but Belgian Malinois puppies can be quite a challenge. You must have a LOT of energy and be able to keep them exercised and busy most of the day. All food and veterinary care is provided by the Dog Center at Lackland AFB (however, reimbursement for your chewed up shoes is not!).
The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) puppy program also needs volunteers/foster for their Labrador and Vizsla puppies. For more information about the foster programs, please click on the links below.
DOD Puppy Program
TSA Puppy Program
- I am an active duty (or retired) service member. Can I bring my pet to the DODMWDVS for care?
No. The DODMWDVS provides care only for official military and other federal government working dogs. For pets of active or retired military members, you should contact your nearest military installation to determine access to and capabilities of veterinary care possibly available.