Farmacias Similares, the Mexican pharmacy giant known for discount prices and its adorably famous mascot, Dr. Simi, has launched its first SimiPet Care veterinary clinic in Mexico City.
The inaugural clinic opened last week in the Escandón neighborhood, adjacent to Condesa and Tacubaya — with plans to open 20 more branches in the capital by the end of July and dozens nationwide by year’s end, depending on demand.
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“We can open maybe 100 this year,” said Víctor González Herrera, CEO of Farmacias Similares. “It will depend on how we do. Our system is a win-win. If everyone wins, we’ll grow quickly, as we know how to do.”
Herrera said the aim of SimiPet Care — that’s its actual name, not something translated from Spanish — is to make pet health care affordable for millions of Mexican families.
The new veterinary service comes nearly three months after Farmacias Similares announced the launch of the Dr. Simi brand in the United States.
SimiPet Care offers basic veterinary services for dogs and cats, including vaccinations, deworming, glucose tests, wound care and travel certificates. Currently, the promotional price for a consultation is 75 pesos (US $3.95).
Certified veterinarians from top universities will staff the clinics, which operate Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The launch also introduced Dr. Lares, a new character and veterinary zootechnician, who will serve as the face of SimiPet Care. Plush toys of Dr. Lares, depicted as a kind, gray-haired doctor with a bandaged dog, are already available.
Les presentamos a la Doctora Lares, es la veterinaria oficial de Simi Pet Care. 🐶🙌 pic.twitter.com/9nT8XErc0k
— Perrhijos (@perrhijos) June 13, 2025
While some have speculated that she is Dr. Simi’s wife, the company has not confirmed this. Her name, “Lares,” plays on the word “Simi-Lares,” reinforcing her connection to the brand.
Dr. Simi, the mascot who has become a global cultural icon, remains the primary face of Farmacias Similares, but Dr. Lares will represent the veterinary division.
“Right now it’s about helping dogs,” said Víctor González Torres, founder of the chain, “and [helping] humans who have dogs spend less.”
A law to establish public veterinary clinics across Mexico — approved by Congress and signed into law by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in January 2024 — states that pets be provided with free preventive medical care (such as sterilization) and emergency medical treatment as needed.
However, implementation is subject to the availability of federal, state and local funding resources. Thus, while a public veterinary hospital has opened in Mérida, Yucatán, and there are free vet clinics operating in Mexico City, the national rollout has been spotty.
At 75 pesos per visit, SimiPet Care is a promising option in the meantime. Its first location, which opened Thursday, is at 63 Calle Prosperidad in the Escandón neighborhood of the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City.
With reports from Infobae, Excélsior and El Universal
