First day of vet IRT benefits 42 pets in all

Kicking off a weeklong military training program that offers free medical and veterinary services in the CNMI, Monday marked a great start for veterinarians and community members who participated in what is being dubbed “IRT CNMI Wellness Mission,” with a total of 42 pets benefiting from the outreach.

The veterinarian services took place at the Office of the Mayor’s Dog Control Center and Saipan Cares for Animals, with military veterinarians and their vet techs servicing pets from 8am until 5pm.

Dog Control program manager Martin Pangelinan said the Mayor’s Dog Control Office is focusing on spay-and-neuter operations and would entertain six animals a day, mainly dogs and cats, at one pet per owner. The four other veterinarians and their vet techs at SCA would be handling not only spay and neuter operations, but will also be taking in walk-in emergencies, and offering medical check-ups for pets.

With a cap of six pets per day at the Dog Control Center and no appointments being made, services were on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A truck parked outside the Office of the Mayor Dog Control Center in Afetna. (CHRYSTAL MARIMO)

When asked why only six pets per day, Pangelinan said the Innovative Readiness Training is technically a training program for military veterinarians to train their vet techs, so there is more focus on the training aspect rather than the number of dogs and cats serviced.

“…Although it would be nice to kind of top the numbers to 20-plus, but…we understand where they’re coming from, and we’re just very fortunate that they are here to provide the services to the CNMI,” he noted.

Separately, Master Sgt. Jennifer Bunch, who is the noncommissioned officer in charge of the Veterinary Services for IRT Operation CNMI Wellness, said that, combined with the pets served at the SCA site, they held about 30 exams and 12 spay and neuters on their first day alone.

Pangelinan did say that having veterinarians come to Saipan has to continue consistently “if we want to see changes” in the overpopulation of strays on island.

“We’ve been doing it already for the past few months. We’ve been bringing in vets, we’ve been working with our partners at the Saipan Humane Society…so we’ve been coordinating with veterinarians from off island to come and implement the spay and neuter clinic, because it’s a great way to control the animal population.”

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Collins, the main military veterinarian at the Office of the Mayor’s Dog Control Center, said the first day is “going well” and that they serviced five dogs and one cat that day.

He also noted that he had been on Saipan last year during the military’s two weeklong spay-and-neuter clinic, and that he loved the island. “…We’re appreciative…that we have the opportunity to do this. It’s a great training for our soldiers to get to do this real-world stuff…”

Pangelinan encourages the community to visit one of their locations and avail of these free services. “The opportunity is here. It’s a great opportunity at no cost,” he said.

Pangelinan also encouraged community members to keep the dog ownership requirements such as all dogs must be registered, and confined within one’s property, and to leash a dog in any public place.

“We’ve got to work together to take care of the situation.”