The Galactic Circle Veterinary Service

On a planet far far away, a young veterinarian is drafted into service by his autocratic government. Dr. Cy Berger's family is imprisoned and threatened with torture and death if he doesn't successfully run the first-ever interplanetary veterinary service. His mission is to travel the galaxy, spread goodwill, and offer veterinary services to the inhabitants. He's given a spaceship furnished with the finest medical equipment and lab facilities, and his crew includes one veterinary assistant, one very perceptive AI, and one government agent: a racist, religious zealot.
Therein lies the ulterior motive for such lavish expenditures, which have nothing to do with Cy's profession and more to do with espionage in advance of a galactic invasion. As Cy treats a variety of alien life-forms, he builds trust and allies and falls in love, but his top priority is to find a way to free his parents and save the galaxy from impending war.