By Joe Montgomery – College of Veterinary Medicine
Registration is now open for a national event — the ophthalmology team from Kansas State University’s Veterinary Health Center will provide free eye exams for eligible service and working animals during the month of May.
Each year, board-certified veterinary ophthalmologists across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Hong Kong collectively provide more than 8,000 free eye exams as part of the ACVO®/Epicur Service Animal Volunteer Eye Screening event.
The Veterinary Health Center has participated in this philanthropic event since 2013. In 2024, the event marked its 15th year and provided more than 5,500 free eye exams in that year alone. Approximately 86,000 animals have received screening eye exams in the program’s history.
The doctors and staff at the Veterinary Health Center and participating board-certified ophthalmologists volunteer their services, staff and facilities for the event at no charge for service and working animals and their owners/agents.
This year, the K-State team includes Jessica Meekins and Amy Rankin, both professors of ophthalmology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, along with staff members Jennifer Klingele and Jordyn Orrison in the Veterinary Health Center’s ophthalmology department. In addition to performing exams at the Veterinary Health Center, the team will go on the road in May to conduct eye exams.
Clients may schedule an appointment at the Veterinary Health Center by calling the small animal desk at 785-532-5690. Each participant must register online prior to calling to schedule an exam. Registration is available through April 30.
Site visits will include McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita and the Fort Riley Army installation near Manhattan to provide exams for military working dogs, as well as to Washington to provide exams for the Kansas Specialty Dog Service, or KSDS, Assistance Dogs Inc. KSDS is a nonprofit organization that provides guide dogs for people with blindness or low vision, service dogs to assist individuals with physical disabilities and facility dogs that assist professionals in the fields of education, counseling, health care, retirement and the legal system.
“Our goal is to screen for eye problems that could impact job performance for these important service and working animals, and in doing so, help them better serve their human owners and handlers,” Meekins said.
During the complete eye exam, Meekins and Rankin will look for problems including cataracts, retinal diseases, and other serious abnormalities that could impact vision. Early detection and treatment are vital for these animals.
