The regulatory body’s decision follows international reports of young people seeking medical assistance at veterinary clinics abroad. Portugal currently has no official records of veterinarians facing such consultation requests. Nevertheless, the professional body took proactive measures to legally safeguard veterinary practice.

The OMV’s instructions are unequivocal about the scope of professional practice. The governing body for Portuguese veterinarians states that professionals cannot diagnose, prescribe treatments, or perform clinical procedures on human beings, regardless of identity.

The institution emphasises that, by law, anyone identifying as an animal is legally a human being; therefore, healthcare services to such individuals are strictly prohibited for anyone outside human medicine.

Portuguese veterinarians encountering such situations must adopt a respectful, educational, and informative approach. The protocol requires them to clearly explain the legal boundaries governing veterinary medicine and refer the citizen to human healthcare services. This measure prevents ambiguous situations or serious ethical breaches in the healthcare system.

The "therian" concept has gained increasing visibility globally, driven primarily by content sharing and the viral spread of TikTok videos. On these platforms, users—predominantly teenagers and young adults—appear wearing masks and accessories, mimicking behaviours and movements characteristic of species such as dogs, cats, foxes, or bears.

In Portugal, the phenomenon even prompted the organisation of an informal gathering in Vila Real, scheduled for February; however, the event was ultimately cancelled by its organisers following a wave of public backlash, leaving the subject under the close scrutiny of experts in mental health and social dynamics.