The measure is part of a €14.5 million package aimed at promoting animal welfare. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Sea has announced that €500,000 has been allocated to cover veterinary service expenses, and another €500,000 to support the costs of pet food.
These funds are designated not only for the most disadvantaged families but also for official animal shelters or legally constituted animal protection associations.
“For low-income families, the assistance is provided through the respective municipalities, where eligibility assessment depends on the social services of the municipality, which must have already established socio-economic criteria,” the ministry explains.
The ministry states that this allocation for pet food resembles an “animal food bank,” as “specific supports will be available to ensure the feeding of pets belonging to families in economic vulnerability.”
“This support does not involve the creation of a physical food bank but rather the reimbursement of expenses related to animal feed,” it clarifies.
Applications began on October 1, and the assistance is to cover expenses incurred between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
All veterinary acts conducted in duly licensed centers, as well as all products intended for animal feeding, whether physiological or treatment-related, solid or wet, are eligible.
The maximum financial support for food expenses is €5,000 per household for costs incurred between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, according to the ministry.
The financial aid for veterinary services “will be subject to maximum limits per beneficiary, defined according to the resident population in the municipality.”
“The maximum reimbursement ceilings increase progressively according to population size, ensuring that more populous municipalities can access support proportional to their needs,” the ministry adds.
In total, the government plans to spend €14.5 million on measures to promote animal welfare, including the construction, rehabilitation, and modernization of infrastructures, as well as veterinary support for treatments, sterilizations, and the identification of dogs and cats, in addition to support for animal protection associations.
