Animal Health Initiatives Launched in Argentina and Spain

The municipality of Miramar, Argentina, opened its first Zoonosis Center at the intersection of Almirante Brown and Belgrano. Mayor Gerardo Cicarelli announced the facility, which will provide veterinary care, disease monitoring, and public education to prevent transmission of illnesses between animals and humans. The center includes a waiting area, recovery room, operating theater and spaces for community outreach, animal adoption campaigns and epidemiological surveillance.

In Madrid, Spain, the public Hospital Doctor Rodríguez Lafora inaugurated its first Animal‑Assisted Intervention workshop, a therapeutic program using specially trained dogs to support adults with severe mental disorders. Twenty patients participated in six sessions, showing a 31% increase in WHO‑5 wellbeing scores and reporting high satisfaction with the dog interactions. The program is part of the region’s community‑centered mental‑health model and may be continued on a regular basis.