The #MejoresAmigos program has been launched, which aims to provide free veterinary assistance to pets in vulnerable situations throughout the country. And good thing, since veterinary expenses can be significant and often cannot be covered by pet owners.
The program was born as a response to this need and mainly due to the increase in pet ownership in homes in Catalonia and the rest of the country.
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In fact, approximately half of Spanish households have pets, with dogs and cats being the most popular.
In recent years, this figure has increased significantly: in Spain there are already 10 million dogs and five million cats living with their families.
For its part, Barcelona is experiencing a historic event: for the first time, the population of dogs exceeds that of children in the city. According to the Statistical Institute of Catalonia and the Consell de Col-legis Veterinaris de Catalunya by the end of 2022 there were 172,971 dogs in the Catalan capital, while 165,482 children between the ages of 0 and 12 were registered.
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While owning a pet is a rewarding experience, it also comes with a number of responsibilities and expenses. Keeping a dog can cost between 100 and 500 euros per month.
This variation in costs is due to the animals’ need for food, grooming and medical care.
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The #MejoresAmigos program is designed to provide support to individuals and families in vulnerable situations who have pets. The intention is to prevent people from being forced to choose between caring for their pets and improving their own lives.
In addition, the program works in collaboration with professionals from local social services and other administrations to provide them with technical and legal information, as well as tools to properly manage the cases of people with pets.
The recipients of the program are:
- Homeless people with animals.
- Homeless people living with animals.
- Victims of gender violence with animals (not yet under the Viopet program).
- People with animals residing in precarious housing conditions.
- Seniors with minimal income who have pets.
- People with animals that, despite having a home, are in a situation of economic vulnerability.
To access the program, individuals can go to their local social rights offices or complete a form on the Ministry’s website and apply for assistance.
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Furry in vulnerable situations
Over the years, #MejoresAmigos addresses a variety of situations involving animals in vulnerable situations.
The program seeks to cover a wide range of veterinary needs such as vaccination, identification, sterilization, deworming, justified euthanasia and pet incineration, among others.
