San Salvador, El Salvador – March 9, 2025 — In a swift policy reversal, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced on Sunday that the Chivo Pets veterinary hospital will remain open, just one day after he declared its closure.
The president cited public support and positive feedback for the decision.
“I have instructed Chivo Pets to reopen and increase its budget to guarantee an even better service than the one already provided, which, according to new comments, is excellent,” stated Nayib Bukele on his Facebook page.
The announcement follows a wave of public messages praising the hospital’s services and urging the government to reconsider its closure.
Initially, President Bukele had ordered the shutdown after reviewing a report compiled by his team analyzing social media commentary from the past year.
That report, he said, revealed “hundreds of complaints” about long waiting times, patient treatment, and criticisms that the hospital catered primarily to wealthier individuals without any notable positive feedback.
SEE ALSO: How Chivo Pets Hospital: Making Affordable Animal Care Accessible in El Salvador
However, after Saturday’s announcement, citizens flooded social media with praise for the hospital and appeals to keep it open.
The president acknowledged that this response highlighted a broader lesson on governance and public communication.
“It is important that people can criticize and even complain if necessary,” he said. “But it is also important to express the good, because otherwise, we all end up believing that a project is useless, even if it is actually silently appreciated by the majority, as clearly happened with Chivo Pets.”
Chivo Pets began operations in February 2022 and had been allocated a $10 million budget for 2025.
Over its three years of service, the facility has provided care for more than 3.6 million patients.
While President Bukele confirmed a budget increase to enhance services, he did not specify the amount of the additional funding.
Initially launched to provide low-cost veterinary services, the Chivo Pets hospital will continue operations with a renewed commitment to improving accessibility and quality of care.
