The Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Portugal announced that its members will not provide medical care to people who identify as animals [1].

This directive establishes a professional boundary between human and animal medicine. It addresses a growing trend of individuals, referred to as "thérians," who identify psychologically or spiritually as non-human animals and may seek veterinary services for their health needs [1, 2].

The professional body released a communiqué on May 19, 2026 [1]. The statement was later confirmed in the Portuguese press on May 21, 2026 [2]. The organization said that humans are not animals and that veterinary care is not suited for people who identify as animals [1, 2].

Veterinary medicine is designed specifically for the biological and physiological needs of animals. The Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Portugal maintains that providing such care to humans would be inappropriate and outside the scope of their professional training [1, 2].

Thérians generally describe their identity as a spiritual or psychological connection to a specific animal. While this identity is personal, the Portuguese veterinary association asserts that it does not change the biological reality of the patient, meaning a human patient still requires a human doctor [2].

This move seeks to prevent the misuse of veterinary clinics for human health issues. By formalizing this stance, the association ensures that practitioners focus on animal welfare and that humans are directed toward the appropriate medical professionals [1, 2].

“Portuguese veterinarians will not provide medical care to people who identify as animals.”

This decision reflects a strict adherence to biological medical standards over psychological identity. By explicitly barring the treatment of thérians, the Portuguese veterinary association is preemptively addressing potential legal and ethical liabilities that would arise if human patients were treated with animal-grade medications or procedures.