Aanifeira’s veterinary clinic works exclusively for its 1400 or so members. The annual membership fee is Euros 15,00 and this ensures that each member may use the clinic to treat their companion animals or freely ring to ask questions or get advice when required.
The important person behind the clinic is our vet Dra. Claudia Valadares. Claudia, as she is known to us, studied Veterinary Science at the Escola Universitária Vasco de Gama in Coimbra (central Portugal) and joined Aanifeira as our full time vet in October 2009.
Dra. Claudia Valadares
Claudia’s cases cover a wide range of veterinary subjects for our members companion animals i.e. vaccinations, microchipping, general health check-ups, spaying/neutering and normal surgeries.
Her work also includes playing a key role in the second follow-up procedure of an adoption process that is made through Aanifeira. This not only includes a normal physical check-up of the animal but vaccinations, microchipping and deworming. A new owner may often be hesitant and need answers to questions. Claudia’s background knowledge given informally and in good spirits ensure that they understand all sides of pet ownership covering animal behaviour, diet, exercise and health subjects.
One of Aanifeira’s main objectives is to have members understand the importance of the spaying/neutering of animals and Claudia’s task is to make this a priority.
Aanifeira began a volunteer vet program in 2010 and has been successfully receiving 4th, 5th & 6th year veterinary university student volunteers from other countries: Holland, Belgium, England, Scotland and Australia. Normally coming in two’s, students come for either one or two weeks at a time to work under Claudia’s guidance in the day to day veterinary side of the clinic. Aanifeira’s members are often not only greeted by Claudia but by the foreign vet volunteers trying out their newly learnt Portuguese with a ‘Bom dia’ or ‘Boa tarde’ (good morning or good afternoon!) and a consultation will often be in both languages much to the delight of people who enjoy practicing their English!
Her busy agenda understandably often runs her off her feet but she has become well known and respected and her role is fundamental in ensuring that Aanifeira takes care, not only of its own animals housed at the shelter, but of our members’ animals which are equally important to us.
Well done Claudia – keep up the good work!
Aanifeira - Associação dos Amigos dos Animais de Santa Maria da Feira 