Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. I have heard a number of military members praise their career as being very rewarding. They fight for our country and save lives while doing so. Some of the lives they save are those of working military animals. These animals are their family away from home. They work beside servicemen and women of all branches of the military, and they need just as much care as their human companions. That’s when the role of veterinarian becomes especially important. Even though the Army is the only branch with veterinarians, these men and women aimed to serve the United States while treating animals are deployed not just to Army bases, but to the other military branches as well. As rewarding as being a military member may be, it must be doubly rewarding to be a military veterinarian. There is the reward of what the military stands for, but also the reward of treating and saving animals for those who are in battle, who need some sort of stability, of normalcy, of some semblance of home. Sadly, military veterinarians are sometimes placed in dangerous warzones. They risk their lives to save an animal’s. This video of the week is dedicated to the memory of military veterinarian Lt. Col. Daniel E. Holland, who lost his life while serving on a mission.
