Action Line #90607 -- Pets

  • Published
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

I have questions regarding pets. I know some officers were placed in houses due to shortage and some of those officers obtained pets. Now those officers are being told they have to move into Herkey housing where no pets are allowed. Unfortunately, this leaves the pet and owner in a bad disposition. We have enough problems with owners dumping pets and leaving them behind and the officers that were put into housing seemed to have really helped that situation by taking them in. I do understand that it was maybe not a good decision to take on a pet, but if you look at it, those officers have helped the community and will take those pets home. The officers also didn't know they were going to be moved out of housing into Herkey. So my two questions are:

1. Why does Herkey not accept pets? I was told it was due to the loaner furniture, but we all get loaner furniture with FMO.

2. Why can't these officers stay in their homes until they can leave so that they can keep their pets and not contribute further to Incirlik's pet dumping problem?

Again, I do understand that it may not be fair to others and so on, but can we not help them out like they have helped the pet community out?

Response:

The reason you cannot have pets in Herky Housing is because the furniture is provided by the government and animals are not allowed in housing where furnishings are government owned. Animals can cause excessive wear and tear over a 15-month period. Incirlik is not unique in this policy, five other USAFE installations have the same policy. Almost all personnel PCSing to Incirlik do receive loaner furniture but, regulations limit the period families can use the furniture to a maximum of three months unless extended by the wing commander.

If single officers were allowed to stay in military family housing there would be less housing for an already limited supply of houses intended for families. Although it may appear we have extra houses, our available inventory is just above our actual requirement. Due to ongoing renovations, an additional 45 houses will leave the active inventory in July, which will leave 89 houses in total out of service. This number will stay constant through April 2010. Additionally, the next renovation project beginning in January 2010 that will take an additional 80 units out of service.