A vocation of care: Anna Pink on life, vets, and veterinary law in Spain

Raised in a nature-rich suburb of South Africa, Anna was always surrounded by animals. "We had dogs and cats and rabbits and hamsters and goldfish," she recalls. “I used to rescue half-dead birds and even collected the dead ones. I think I horrified people, but that strange relationship with nature is quite common among vets.”

Her dream of becoming a vet wasn't always encouraged. While her father was supportive, her mother worried that the profession would make family life difficult. Ironically, Anna has found veterinary work to be incredibly adaptable for parents—especially women. "You can scale down your hours, go part-time. It’s much more flexible than many other professions."

Anna studied veterinary science in South Africa, where competition was fierce, and gender quotas made it even harder. With just one vet school in the country admitting 100 students a year, places were limited, and Anna was up against both high academic standards and gender bias. After graduating with a student loan to repay, she moved to the UK, armed with a British passport, and began a decade-long chapter that took her from Southend-on-Sea to Luton and finally to Surrey. Along the way, she met her husband, Juan, a fellow vet originally from Zaragoza.

Working in the UK gave Anna a wealth of experience. In Luton, she worked with the PDSA, seeing some of the most challenging cases of neglect and illness. "You saw everything there, from severe infections to emergencies with very limited resources. It was intense, but it taught me so much." She also did locum work across England, balancing clinical learning with a love for travel.

In 2007, with a baby in tow and another soon to follow, the couple decided to make a permanent move to Mallorca. "We thought, if we don’t try now, we never will," Anna says. But it wasn’t easy. Her qualifications took three years to be officially recognised in Spain, forcing her to earn six euros an hour as a veterinary nurse. During that time, she also had her second son, Dylan, joining Ruben, the firstborn.

Anna and Juan decided to open their own practice, CalviaVet, and have built it into a well-respected clinic known for its international approach. "Everyone speaks English and Spanish," Anna notes. One of their most innovative features is the separation of cats and dogs, something that’s still rare in many veterinary practices. "We want to keep the waiting room calm and low-stress. It’s better for the animals and the owners." CalviaVet is also admired for its efficient scheduling and attention to detail. "We try to avoid crowding in the waiting room by sticking closely to appointment times," Anna explains. "It’s all about creating a calm and friendly environment where animals feel safe."

But now, Anna and vets across Spain are facing a serious challenge with new veterinary legislation that, according to her, threatens the entire profession.

"We’re furious," she says, speaking about recent changes preventing vets in Spain from dispensing their medications. "They’ve gone against EU norms. Pharmacies have lobbied hard for this because they want to be the sole sellers of pharmaceuticals. But it doesn’t make sense. Pharmacists aren’t trained in veterinary medicine. They can’t advise clients properly, and they often don’t stock the right medications, and some even substitute medication and change prescriptions illegally without consulting vets."

The consequences of this shift are wide-reaching. Pet owners are frequently sent away from the clinic only to find pharmacies that can’t or won’t provide the prescribed medicine. "And they won’t split packs," Anna explains. "So you end up with people having boxes of antibiotics sitting at home, which completely undermines the goal of reducing antibiotic resistance."

Another deeply frustrating aspect of the legislation is the government mandate requiring vets to report every single antibiotic prescription on a centralised platform. "It’s massively time-consuming. I’m behind right now because I simply don’t have time. We’re supposed to log everything: the client’s name, their NIE, and the reason for the medication. It’s a data protection nightmare, and it’s not even clear who’s checking it."

Perhaps most frustrating of all is the lack of proper representation for vets. "We were caught off guard. While pharmacists have strong unions and a single national body, veterinary representation is fragmented across autonomous communities. Our professional councils have dropped the ball."

And then there’s the financial side. Vets in Spain have had to charge 21% IVA (VAT) on their services since 2012, which is the same rate applied to luxury goods. "If we want to protect animals, surely we should not be making veterinary services a luxury," says Anna. "I believe veterinary care should be subsidised or supported in some way. Pets play a huge role in people’s emotional wellbeing."

Indeed, Anna notes a cultural shift over the past decade. "In urban areas especially, people treat their pets like family members. Many younger couples are choosing not to have children, and their pets become child substitutes. That’s reflected in the lengths people will go to for their animals.”

Anna is also deeply concerned about this legislation's message to future generations. "It’s hard enough to get into veterinary school; now we’re making the job even harder post-graduation. It’s not sustainable. We risk pushing away the next generation of talented vets."

So what can be done? "We are asking for people to stay aware. Write letters. Protest. Support campaigns. Sign petitions. Listen to which parties are supporting vets and animals at election time. We’ve got to make noise."

Despite the obstacles, Anna continues to advocate for responsible veterinary care. She sees hope in the younger vets coming through the system. "They’re highly aware of issues like antibiotic resistance. Most of us in good practice were already being cautious, but this has made us even more vigilant."

With her characteristic mix of honesty, passion, and dry humour, Anna Pink is not just treating animals; she’s fighting for the profession. Behind every calm consultation room is a vet juggling more than just patient care, they’re navigating bureaucracy, fighting for fair policy, and pushing to make the lives of pets and their people better.

You can find out more about Anna and get in touch with her via www.calviavet.com