A survey on the question of how well veterinarians are prepared to predict their client's human-animal bond.

In a survey of 63 military veterinary facilities, actual responses from 961 clients were compared with 86 servicing US Army Veterinary Corps practitioners' predictions of the clients' responses. The survey questions were designed to evaluate the degree of human-animal bonding of the military clients. The survey revealed that the effects of human-animal interaction on community, family, and animal health have extensive impact on the military member, the military installation, and the military health care delivery system. Results revealed sociologic and psychologic factors that influenced the quality of life of mobile military members and their families. The survey also revealed that although the newly graduated veterinarians understood the professional and scientific values of their clients, they often underestimated the social interdependence between client and pet. The military veterinarians in this survey were considered to be representative of the new graduate, and the results are relevant to any civilian practitioner concerned with client relations or hiring new graduates.