Since last September 29, owners of domestic animals must comply with the Animal Welfare Law, a law focused on protecting pets by preventing their abandonment. However, it entails a series of expenses that many families cannot afford, especially when we talk about visits to the veterinarian.
When we adopt a pet, it becomes part of our family, it is one more, and we will always do everything possible so that, if it has any health problem, it does not continue to suffer unnecessarily, which is why we go to the doctor as soon as possible. vet.
However, depending on the type of consultation and the tests that have to be performed, the consultation can cost us a lot, especially when blood tests, x-rays, and so on are required. With the new Animal Welfare Law, so that families with low economic resources can go to the veterinarian without worrying about the amount of the bill, the Best Friends program has been created, a program managed by the Ministry of Social Rights and the Foundation for Advice and Action in Defense of Animals (FAADA)
What includes
This aid program for vulnerable families includes allowing pet owners to go to a veterinary center, coordinated through the FADA Foundation to carry out the following actions.
- Vaccination
- Deworming
- Sterilization (requirement of the Animal Welfare Law)
- Identification (requirement of the Animal Welfare Law)
- Euthanasia (in cases contemplated in the Animal Welfare Law) and Incineration.
If we need any other query that is not contemplated in this program, during the application process, we can present it through the two contact forms of this organization and which we show below this article.
Requirements
Most of the services included in the Best Friends program involve a significant veterinary expense, especially those related to sterilization. People who can take advantage of this program are:
- Older people living alone
- Families living in precarious conditions
- Homeless
- People who live in areas that lack minimum health conditions (substandard housing)
- Victims of gender violence
- People with a vulnerable economic situation, even if they have a stable residence.
Regarding the beneficiaries, these can be all pets (dogs, cats and ferrets as well as other species) that reside with the person and have an emotional bond with the person.
How to request it
To take advantage of the free veterinary consultation program of the Best Friends program, we can do it in different ways. The first involves going to the social services center of the town where we reside. Another option is to go to our town hall where we can request to join this program through the Best Friends website from where they will contact FAADA to present the case.
The last option, if we do not want to depend on anyone, is to carry out the procedure ourselves by visiting the website BestFriends.org and where we must enter our name, surname, email, telephone number and province and where it is not necessary to use a digital electronic certificate. Once we have completed the form, we will receive an email or phone call where we will have to explain the case and provide us with the address of the veterinarian where we should go. FAADA will be responsible for the corresponding invoice.
