This April, Muy Interesante will relaunch its Muy Pets section, the website for animal lovers. Our goal is that people can understand, care for and love their pets more with the most rigorous information from a clinical and ethological perspective.
A goal as important as this could only be achieved with the best team. From Muy Interesante we will have a team of veterinarians, biologists, lawyers and expert educators who will approach the section from different fields such as clinical health, ethology of dogs and cats, exotic animals, animal protection and animal rights.
A new team of professional veterinarians
The new Very Pets team will be led by Carlos Rodríguez, veterinarian, teacher and communicator. Committed to defending the rights of animals, his work in the media – where his program ”Como el perro y el gato” (Onda Cero) stands out – has the purpose of transmitting love for animals to the general public , our way of relating to them and, above all, the importance of good care and attention to our pets.
Graduated in 1988 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, Carlos began his professional career, which he currently maintains in the clinic with small animals. ”I have worked in livestock, the dairy industry, and, finally, in the small animal clinic, dedicating myself mainly to surgery, and more specifically to traumatology.” – he highlights.
From the clinic to the media
If there is something that is undeniable in the good practices of clinical professionals, it is the importance of communication with their patients, people who come with problems with their pets that they must diagnose and solve. For this reason, the communication work of professionals such as Carlos and the Muy Pets team is essential. But… what is it that led a veterinarian to become a communicator?
“The communication of professional activity, the help to humans who live with non-rationals through the various means of communication, came in an unexpected way as a collaboration in a small radio station that has now disappeared (Onda Mini). From the beginning From this activity I was very clear that, although the audience might be small, in a single program I would be able to comment on guidelines, advice, answer questions, to many more people than I could attend in a month… or a year!! daily.” – explains the expert.
Despite the importance of caring for pet owners with the greatest possible dedication, the focus is on the animal itself and its problem, which means that the time to comment on general topics, clear up habitual doubts or comment on preventive guidelines is reduced. According to Carlos – “The media provide the health professional with the best way to deal with all those important, vital issues for health and coexistence that are not usually addressed in a consultation.”
Know more to live better
A pet is a living being with whom we share our life, our home, our family. This means that coexistence is the pillar of the relationship with our animals.
One of the most important factors to take into account when someone decides to have a pet is responsibility: can you take care of it? do you have time for her? do you have resources? Evaluate all these questions before adopting a new member of your family.
This is one of the questions that Carlos addresses, explaining why it is important to be well informed and what media to choose – ”It is essential to obtain adequate, understandable, close information, and, most importantly, issued by true professionals in the world of pets. company.”
“Unfortunately, social networks are an open door to a lot of “information” , but on too many occasions issued by people without the knowledge or the appropriate qualifications to take responsibility for something as important as health, as the life of a non-rational .” – Add.
We are more and more at home
According to the information provided by the team of veterinarians, the latest studies indicate that 40% of Spanish households share their lives with a pet, and that young people have more pets than older people.
According to the INE, in Spain there are some 6,300,000 children under 14 years of age, and more than 7,000,000 dogs, out of a total of pets that exceeds 28,000,000 (7 million dogs, 4 million cats and the rest distributed between fish, birds, small mammals and reptiles)
The pandemic: union or separation?
We know that the pandemic has had consequences on people’s mental health. However, it has also given rise to changes in the relationship with our pets, and the fact is that the situation of confinement “has kept us closer to our friends, we have shared more time, time in which we have more clearly evidenced the reality of our relationship .
Our veterinarian adds – “for those who incorporated their friend in a responsible way, the pandemic has allowed them to enjoy the benefits, the benefits of that coexistence; they have enjoyed the company, the affection, the games… and because of that close relationship they have also become more aware of their needs and potential problems, which has led to an increased demand for veterinary services.”
However, not everything is positive, “for those whose coexistence was not entirely desired, or who already manifested some kind of problem, the confinement has ended up blowing up the situation: many animals have also been abandoned during the pandemic.” Carlos clarifies.
Do we take good care of our pets in Spain?
Unfortunately we are the European country with the highest rate of abandonment, which is not a good business card as a culture of responsible care.
Given this, Carlos comments – “Although cases of abuse, abandonment, are usually present daily in the news, the reality is that Spain has evolved, and continues to do so in respect for the life of the non-rational, and progress is slowly, among other reasons, due to the scarcity of valid and professional information, and the absence of practical and effective legislation.”
Another important issue is life in the city. The environment in which animals move is key to their well-being and behavior, – ”Cities are not even adapted for human life, cities are artificial environments in which we decide to live to, presumably, enjoy greater advantages, comforts, services…” – comments Carlos.
According to the expert, -” Non-rational animals, like rational ones, can adapt to cities, of course, but not because the city offers them the necessary conditions, but because of the need to adapt to the environment that every living being has They are honorable and plausible, as well as few, the cities that consider family animals citizens with needs and rights.”
Very Pets, a new goal
On April 1st, our new team of expert veterinarians will begin providing us with new information about our pets on a daily basis.
Our challenge is clear: to offer all those who are interested the necessary tools for the best coexistence with an animal, the ways to understand them, to prevent pathologies, how to act in the event of an accident…
“We want to ensure that all those who accompany us do not feel lost in the wonderful world of living with a non-rational person.” – concludes Carlos Rodríguez.
