Free veterinary services in next 2 weeks

Great news for pet owners waiting for veterinary services for their beloved pets: Starting tomorrow, Saturday, June 18, until Thursday, June 30, free spaying and neutering services will be available at the Saipan Cares for Animals clinic and free vaccines will be available at the Gualo Rai Youth Center.

Saipan Cares for Animals, Boonie Babies Rescue, and the Gualo Rai Youth Center are partnering up with the U.S. Army’s 445th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services Support for the veterinary mission that will make available free neutering and spaying services for two weeks only. 

The service is a first come first serve basis and available only while supplies last.

For tomorrow until Saturday, June 25, the drop off time at the SCA Clinic in Middle Road will be at 8:30am. The spaying and neutering service will last until 12pm only. U.S. Army veterinarians will assist SCA with free spay and neuter services for up to 10 dogs and cats each day.

They won’t be providing free services on Sunday, June 26.

The following week from Monday, June 27, to Thursday, June 30, the services will be full days from 9am to 12pm and then from 1pm to 4pm again, with Thursday as their last day.

Drop off time in the morning is at 8:30am and the drop off time for the afternoon shift is at 12pm.

Along with the free spay and neuter service, free vaccinations will be provided at the Gualo Rai Youth Center. On Monday, June 20, to Saturday, June 25, it will be from 1pm to 4pm. They will be closed on Sunday, June 26. They will resume again on Monday, June 27, to Friday, June 30, from 1pm to 4pm.

According to SCA director Beth Pliscou, the Army veterinarians will use their equipment but they will be bringing in their “oxygen which is pretty expensive when you’re doing a lot of surgery and they’ll pay for the anesthesia. And then they’re bringing a lot of things that we use for surgery. The labor is free, of course, us and the vets.” 

Pliscou said that pet owners may drop off their pets in the morning and they will be kept in kennels provided by the nonprofit Boonie Babies Rescue and other kennels that were purchased by SCA. 

“This is a trial run. …It takes a year, really, to get something like this, to get all the stuff shipped here and everything like that set in motion. …So this is a little one this year and then by next summer, they want to do it every year in the summer and go to a community center and really set up an assembly line,” added Pliscou.

The veterinary unit is composed of medical experts from the U.S. Army Reserve and the 807th Medical Command based in Fort Douglas in Salt Lake City, Utah, which arrived yesterday and met with SCA to finalize the schedule of services.

Special assistant Glenna Palacios of the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs, which is also helping this effort, said the bureau is tapping into U.S. Department of Defense programs that provide mutual benefits to the military and the community.

LTC Brian Collins, commanding officer of the 445th Medical Detachment Veterinary Services, said: “The 445th Veterinary Services is proud to be a part of this community effort…and we look forward to getting to know the people and their pets, and enjoying the hospitality that Saipan offers,” he added.

Separately, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said: “I would like to thank…the 445th MDVS Veterinary Team for providing this service to our community. …Thank you for bringing this critical service to our island and for making it available to our community at no cost.”