The Governing Vessel (GV)-1 acupoint is known as Hou-hai in veterinary medicine and Chang-qiang in humans. Due to the perineum location, the clinical applications for GV-1 are very limited in humans and clinical research studies have also been insufficient compared to other acupoints. In contrast, the GV-1 acupoint in animals is convenient to locate and the results are significant for treating many digestive disorders which include diarrhea and constipation, as well as perianal diseases. Acupuncture at GV-1 can affect the function of many Zang-fu organs and according to both clinical studies and research has important diverse effects. Clinical benefits include treatment of gastrointestinal tract disease, perianal/perineal diseases, retained placenta, childbirth/labor/delivery, anesthesia recovery, epilepsy and behavior/cognition. In the present article, the varied clinical applications and research into the effects of GV-1 will be discussed both in veterinary medicine and human medicine.