Vet Clinic will host open house Feb. 25

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Hanscom Veterinary Treatment Facility will host an open house Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Building 1216 following the completion of the clinic's new facility here.

"The purpose of the open house is to allow the community to see our new facility, but also to highlight the important mission of the U.S. Army Veterinarian Corps," said Dr. Heather Mazzaccaro, a U.S. Army civilian veterinarian.  "Stop by to meet the staff, enjoy some refreshments, tour the facility and socialize with other pet owners on Hanscom."

She added that children are invited to bring a stuffed animal for a check-up.

The primary mission of the treatment facility is to ensure that Military Working Dogs assigned to the 66th Security Forces Squadron are healthy and ready for deployment at any time.

"My staff and I work closely with the Military Working Dog section to monitor the dogs' health," said Mazzaccaro. "It is essential that they are kept in the best of health possible to perform their own important mission."

She added her team assists with the care of local Transportation Security Administration working dogs.

The clinic also offers veterinarian services that include caring for personally-owned animals in an effort to promote public health through the control of rabies, the monitoring for zoonotic diseases, and the maintenance of the human-animal bond.

"We offer wellness exams to include vaccinations, minor sick call services, nail trims, behavioral consults, and laboratory services at a reasonable cost," Mazzaccaro said.

Other services include international health certificates for service members that are moving to overseas assignments and minor surgical procedures as time permits. Clinic officials also hope to add radiographic services soon.

Those authorized to utilize the services of the Vet Clinic include active duty and retired military members and their dependents. Members of the Guard, Reserve members as well as veterans with a 100 percent disability may also bring their pets to the clinic.

In addition, the Hanscom veterinarians are responsible for military personnel food safety in the area.

"We protect the health of military personnel and their dependents assigned throughout New England as well as the interests of the government by conducting sanitary audits of commercial food establishments," Mazzaccaro said. 

She added that this secondary mission sometimes limits the availability of the government veterinarian depending on the food safety mission workload. A second veterinarian, Dr. Amy Girafalco, was recently added to the staff to increase appointment availability.

The veterinarian treatment facility's hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The clinic is closed weekends and on all federal holidays.

For further information on the facility, their services or the open house, call 781-225-2772.