IAM says conditions not ready for expanding vet outpatient, surgical services

The municipal kennels in the Macau peninsula will temporarily close to the public starting next month for renovation and maintenance, with the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) acknowledging that the objective conditions for expanding outpatient and surgical services are not currently in place.

However, the bureau noted that a temporary service point will open at Ox Warehouse on Avenida do Cel. Mesquita to provide pre-booked and core services, including veterinary follow-up consultations, post-operative care, dog licensing, vaccinations, quarantine, animal health certificates, adoptions, and animal cremation arrangement services. Veterinary medical services, surgeries, and individual pet cremation services will temporarily suspend new bookings.

Notably, the city’s two kennels currently provide services including animal adoption, microchipping, rabies vaccinations, quarantine, animal health certificates, and other medical services – as well as treatment, neutering, and daily care for stray animals. However, veterinary and surgical services are only available on a limited basis for the government’s police dog unit.

Authorities acknowledged that the objective conditions for expanding current outpatient and surgical services are not in place, adding that “government administrative resources are primarily focused on fulfilling the roles of animal protection, animal disease prevention and control, and market supervision.”

As noted in a written reply to lawmaker Loi I Weng’s inquiries, the total volume of veterinary services last year exceeded 36,000 visits. The response addressed Loi’s concern that the kennels offer only four outpatient slots per weekday morning for basic clinical diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of dogs and cats.

According to Loi, residents have complained that the Macao One Account booking system only allows appointments within a one-week window – and that slots are constantly fully booked, with subsequent dates shown as unavailable. Routine procedures such as neutering surgeries require waiting times of three to four months.

Meanwhile, Macau currently has 151 professionally accredited veterinarians.

The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) stated that, under the coordination of the national Ministry of Education, some leading mainland universities have opened veterinary medicine programs to Macau students through the joint recommendation scheme, and veterinary science has also been included in the scope of higher education scholarship support.

Authorities are encouraging local students studying veterinary medicine elsewhere to apply for internships in animal diagnosis, treatment, and inspection and quarantine at the IAM or local veterinary institutions, aiming to combine theory with practice and build up local professional veterinary expertise.