Nayib Bukele Announces Closure of Chivo Pets Hospital

Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador, announced on Saturday that the country’s only pet hospital will close. The hospital was established with surplus funds from the nation’s Bitcoin trust.

The Chivo Pets hospital is shutting down following a case of negligence in which dogs were mistreated and abandoned in a shelter operated by the San Salvador municipality.

Nayib Bukele Shares News on Facebook

Chivo Pets posted on Facebook: “After three years of dedication and commitment, it is time to say goodbye. Starting at 12:00 A.M., Chivo Pets will close its doors, but the love, dedication, and stories we shared together will remain forever.” Bukele shared the post on his Facebook page, expressing his gratitude: “Thank you for everything.”

The president also declared the closure of the state Animal Welfare Institute and Polipet, a police service for protecting pets, citing the same negligence grounds. Bukele remarked, “…it is evident that neither the Institute of Animal Welfare (IBA) nor Polipet took the necessary actions to avoid this problem. Consequently, I have made the decision to close both institutions and proceed with the dismissal of all its officials and staff.”

Source: El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s Facebook page.

The decision came after Bukele read over 8,000 messages on social media where individuals complained about poor treatment of dogs in a municipal shelter.

Chivo Pets was funded with a portion of approximately $4 million registered as surplus from the country’s Bitcoin adoption trust fund. When it was opened, Bukele claimed the hospital would operate 24/7 and support 200 animals for a minimal fee of $0.25 per day, funded by Bitcoin trust earnings.

El Salvador has seen multiple failed Bitcoin projects, including Bitcoin City, NFT Casino, Chivo Wallet, Volcano Bonds, and LaGeo crypto mining, now with the addition of Chivo Pets.

El Salvador’s Ongoing Bitcoin Engagement Despite IMF Pressure

In 2022, El Salvador began acquiring 1 Bitcoin daily after President Bukele announced on X, “We are buying one #Bitcoin every day starting tomorrow.” The government continued to purchase Bitcoin over the next couple of years.

In December 2024, El Salvador made a deal with the IMF for a $1.4 billion loan, agreeing to cease using Bitcoin as legal tender and reduce public sector involvement with it. In January 2025, Congress revised its Bitcoin laws in line with the IMF deal, voting 55 to 2 to repeal the previous law. Nonetheless, the government maintained its Bitcoin purchases, buying two BTC on February 1st and continuing thereafter.

Despite IMF urging, El Salvador has acquired 13 bitcoins since March 1st and now holds a total of over 6,105 bitcoins worth more than $511 million.

Positively, El Salvador emerges as a new crypto haven, attracting several major crypto firms due to its pro-Bitcoin policies. For instance, on January 7th, Bitfinex Derivatives announced its move from Seychelles to El Salvador, followed by Tether on January 13th.