Good news for pets in Mexico!

Dear Friends – there was some very big news this month about affordable pet care in
Mexico: one of Mexico’s largest pharmacy chains, Farmacias Similares, opened its first
SimiPet Care discount veterinary clinic in Mexico City. Founded by Víctor Manuel González Torres in 1997, Farmacias Similares is a massive pharmacy chain known for its lower-priced generic pharmaceuticals, and it intends to bring this lower-cost healthcare concept to veterinary medicine. SimiPet Care locations will offer basic veterinary services for dogs and cats, including
vaccinations, deworming, tests, wound care, and travel certificates. Certified veterinarians will staff the clinics, which operate Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A basic consultation will cost under $5USD. “Right now it’s about helping…” said founder González Torres, “and [helping] humans…spend less.” Farmacias Similares has big plans for SimiPet Care, with 20 more locations opening in Mexico City in July, and a national roll-out planned for later in the year. “We can open maybe 100 this year,” said Víctor González Herrera, CEO of Farmacias Similares.

SBPA San Carlos is very excited to witness this development, which is a reflection of
the positive evolution of animal welfare consciousness in Mexico. Mexico’s relationship to its pets and street animals is changing. A law to establishpublic veterinary clinics across Mexico — approved by Congress and signed into law byPresident Andrés Manuel López Obrador in January 2024 — states that pets should be provided with free preventive medical care, such as sterilization, and emergency medical treatment. Implementation of this law is, however, subject to the availability of governmental funding at the federal, state and local levels. As a result, while a public veterinaryhospital has opened in Mérida, and there are a few free veterinary clinics operating inMexico City, most communities in Mexico — particularly smaller communities such asours — have not yet benefited. While not free — like our monthly SBPA spay & neuter clinics! — SimiPet Care promises to be an important bridge to the animal welfare future we all want for Mexico’s pets and street animals. We commend Farmacias Similares for making pet care more affordable, and look forward to seeing a SimiPet Care locations open in Guaymas and surrounding areas!