This Veterans Day, LOHS recognizes those who served and the shelter pets helping them write their next chapter.
Inside the doors of Lake Oconee Humane Society, Andrew Duncan is known as “Doctor,” a title he’s earned through years of education, training, and service as a licensed veterinarian.
Dr. Duncan’s work is a source of great pride for LOHS. Having a full-time staff veterinarian is a remarkable accomplishment for a growing, regional animal rescue and reflects the full evolution of LOHS’s community programs over the last 25 years.
But there’s something extra special about the man who leads LOHS’s shelter medicine team…
LOHS’s vet is also a future “Vet.” More specifically, he’s a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Lt. Colonel Duncan, U.S. Army Veterinary Corps
Lt. Colonel Duncan joined the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps in 2010. He serves in a specialized branch of the U.S. Army Medical Department that provides animal medical care, food safety inspection, and veterinary public health services.
Recently, he served a two-week rotation at the Fort Eisenhower Veterinary Treatment Facility to provide routine medical care and wellness services for military family pets and government-owned animals. The year prior, he served in Tennessee as part of an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program offering high-volume spay and neuter services.
Every year on November 11, the nation honors all those who have served in the U.S. military. This Veterans Day, and every day, LOHS is grateful for the Veterans whose commitment to service continues to make a difference in Lake Oconee and beyond.
That includes familiar faces like LOHS front desk greeter Ginny Dornheggen, a U.S. Army nurse who served with the 67th Evacuation Hospital during the Vietnam War, and Daryl Chandler, who retired from a career in Army Intelligence and now volunteers his expertise to help LOHS manage its technology infrastructure.
Like many others who support LOHS, they continue to serve their community through generosity and action.
One way that LOHS gives back to active-duty military members and Veterans is through Pets Love Vets, a program sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties that provides free shelter pet adoptions.
“Veterans spend years serving and protecting others. A pet may seem like a small thing, but the companionship, loyalty, and comfort they provide can be truly transformative,” says Dr. Duncan.
“As both a veterinarian and a future Veteran, I’ve seen how the bond between people and animals can reduce isolation, improve mental health, and bring joy and purpose to everyday life. Pets Love Vets is a wonderful program that helps make those connections possible.”
Since 2018, when the Rotary Club launched Pets Love Vets with several participating shelters in the region, more than 244 pets have found a home with Veterans and their families. From the smallest kittens to the largest dogs, LOHS has celebrated 105 Pets Love Vets adoptions within the last 5 years!
The program can only continue to grow with community support. Learn more at: lohspets.org/petslovevets.
A Pets Love Vets adoption
