A quarter is not much money anywhere, but in Antiguo Cuscatlán it can get your dog a full veterinary consultation. Chivo Pets, opened in February 2022, is El Salvador's first public veterinary hospital, and it charges a symbolic $0.25 per medical service — a price that makes it one of the most affordable animal clinics in the Americas.
The project was announced by President Nayib Bukele in 2021 and funded partly through profits linked to Fidebitcoin, the government's Bitcoin trust. Construction reportedly cost around $4 million according to Bloomberg Línea. The facility opened with 12 general consultation rooms, four emergency rooms and four operating rooms, plus rehabilitation areas and space for specialised care.
The service list goes well beyond a basic clinic. Vets handle general checkups, emergencies, surgery, hospitalisation, X-rays and diagnostic imaging, lab tests, physical rehabilitation and even pet grooming. Dogs and cats are the main patients, but rabbits, hamsters, reptiles and other small pets can be seen too, depending on specialist availability — worth confirming before you book. Payments are made through Chivo Wallet or other compatible digital wallets, tying the hospital to El Salvador's wider Bitcoin experiments.
Practical details: the hospital sits on the Pan-American Highway in Antiguo Cuscatlán, in the La Libertad department, easy to reach from San Salvador. General consultations run from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., while the emergency service operates 24/7. There's an official website and a phone line, 195, for hours, appointments and updated pricing. Even with the tiny headline fee, owners should ask about costs for extras like medication or specialised treatment before committing.
Chivo Pets also fits into a bigger animal welfare push. It launched alongside El Salvador's Animal Welfare Institute (IBA) and new companion-animal protection laws, and the hospital doubles as a training school where veterinary students get hands-on experience alongside professionals. It's part of a wider effort around street animals and responsible pet ownership in the country.
Why should a traveller care? If you're relocating to El Salvador, staying long-term with a pet, or volunteering with local animal welfare groups, this changes the maths completely — a sick animal no longer means a daunting private clinic bill. It also signals something useful about the country: pet-friendly infrastructure is growing, and expat communities around Santa Tecla and Antiguo Cuscatlán are within easy reach of it. Short-term visitors with pets on holiday will still want a plan for cross-border paperwork, but knowing a functioning public animal hospital exists — with round-the-clock emergencies — removes a real worry from the list.
Credit: El Salvador Info
