COEUR d'ALENE - Larry Greenfelder lovingly caressed his dog's head and neck as the veterinarian examined her. The Vietnam veteran exchanged glances with his 8-year-old black lab Boo Boo, reassuring her that Dr. Bruce King was not going to take the rawhide she refused to release from her teeth.

Her eyes said she believed him, but she still wouldn't let it go. Not until the nail clippers were visible.

"She is one of the best dogs," Greenfelder said, patting the 106-pound dog. He has had Boo Boo since she was about a year old.

Greenfelder is a man of thin frame with a short, gray beard, a man who has seen war and troubled times. He served in the Navy for nine years and was deployed to Vietnam for two six-month tours, where he earned medals such as the Combat Action Ribbon and the Meritorious Unit Citation.

"When we got back, people didn't like us very much," he said. "I'll guarantee you, most people didn't want to go there and fight that war, and still today, I'll tell you, it was senseless."

Greenfelder and Boo Boo are tenants in transitional housing, a place where countless military veterans find themselves at some point in their lives. The duo visited King's office because of the St. Vincent de Paul Housing Animal Safety Policy, which requires animals to be licensed, vaccinated and free of fleas. A recent flea infestation in the housing area brought the policy to the attention of transitional housing director Ami Manning, who said the policy is in the best interest of the animals and the tenants.

"It's really about keeping a safe and healthy environment because it's a community that's shared," Manning said.

Those running the program had been fairly lax on the rule, but the flea problem called for action.

"We have compassion and we want vets to have their animals because there is so much that comes from having an animal," she said. She said security, peace and kindness are a few of the benefits that go along with a canine-human relationship.

Boo Boo's visit was on the house, compliments of King and Lakewood Animal Hospital. She received ear medication and vaccination shots, and the veterinary assistants even clipped her nails and painted them a classy green. Greenfelder laughed at his "big girl" getting such fancy treatment.

"It's one of those things where we're not able to do it all the time just because of overhead costs," King said. But he said that in a situation like this where the need is clear, "it's very easy to be able to decide to do it," he said.

The Coeur d'Alene veterinarian of 18 years said he feels good to help out. The exams cost about $150 per dog, a gift that is a relief for those who want to keep their best friends close and healthy.

"I feel really good. This has been a problem for a while, you know, and I worry about her an awful lot," Greenfelder said. "And she's fixed up from head to toe now, it's just a matter of getting out and getting her more exercise to lose a little weight. She'll be a lot better. I'm really grateful."

The two dogs belonging to Army veteran Curtis Daniels and his wife, Sheryl, also received free exams, following the same requirements to get them vaccinated and licensed. Klyde, a rottweiler-shepard-lab mix, and Spike, a purebred long-haired dachshund, mean the world to their owners.

"They're our whole entire life," Curtis said. "We never go anywhere without them."

Instrumental in reaching out to King and assisting in the free exams and licensings were Mary Murdock of Hayden and Tony Mangan of Spirit Lake, who worked with some of the veterans in transitional housing last fall. Murdock said she was contacted by one of the veterans a few days ago, and he was panicked he would lose his dog or get kicked out, so she contacted Mangan and they worked toward finding a veterinarian who would help.

"I just knew he was a kind man," she said of King. "I had a good feeling he would help."

All the dogs received the proper shots and medications, assuring they were OK to continue living alongside their loving humans.

"Today has gone absolutely awesome. These are some of the finest, most caring people I've ever met, and God bless them always," Curtis said.