All animals deserve quality care
Many people in Chile cannot afford the care their animals need.
Chile has one of the highest levels of income inequality among OECD countries, and for many low-income families—particularly in rural or underserved urban areas—accessing even basic veterinary care is nearly impossible. While companion animals are beloved members of many Chilean households, the cost of preventive medicine or emergency services can be far out of reach for those struggling to meet their family’s essential needs.
Our unique approach:
The GAAP has evolved its model in Chile to better meet the needs of the country’s most marginalized communities. Rather than maintaining our own clinic, we now partner with Clínica Aukera in Valdivia—an independent veterinary clinic that took over leadership of our former GAAP facility. Together, we run targeted campaigns and provide direct support to pet guardians with extremely limited resources, based on government economic assessments identifying those earning 50% or less of the amount required to support their household.
Through this partnership, we subsidize both preventive care—including sterilizations, parasite control, and basic veterinary consults—and emergency interventions for animals suffering from traumatic injuries or life-threatening conditions. By focusing our efforts on families who need it most, we’re helping to reduce animal suffering, prevent abandonment, and improve the overall health of communities.
Our approach recognizes that simply offering services is not enough. By removing financial barriers and working alongside a trusted local clinic, we help ensure that no animal is left untreated due to poverty—and no caregiver is left feeling helpless. This model also supports sustainability by strengthening the capacity of local veterinary infrastructure, rather than duplicating services.
At its heart, our work in Chile is about equity—about making sure that access to care is not determined by income, geography, or circumstance. Every animal deserves a chance at health and well-being, and every family deserves the dignity of being able to care for their companions.
Hidden camera traps show the local problem of free-roaming cats and dogs in Chile and how important it is to maintain our pets vaccinated and dewormed to reduce transmission of diseases to people and other animals.
The bonds between people and animals living on the street are strong, but without proper veterinary care, these dogs and cats are often sick or have chronic pain from untreated injuries.
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There is no other living non-human animal that spends more time and lives as closely with people as dogs and cats. These pets live in our homes, in our beds, they go with us on vacation and comfort us when we are ill or distraught. Dogs and cats also have the potential to spread diseases and parasites to us during these close interactions, if they are not properly cared for or their health visits with their veterinarian are not up-to-date. Additionally, many pets have free access to streets and forests, which can have a negative health impact on other domestic animals as well as wildlife. Part of our role as One Health professionals is to raise awareness about the broader importance of keeping our pets healthy.
What does access to veterinary care have to do with One Health?
