On April 7, 2026, the Municipality of Józsefváros will once again launch its support program for dog and cat owners.

The goal of the initiative remains unchanged: to contribute to maintaining the health of animals living in the district and to support responsible pet ownership—though this year, the program places even greater emphasis on social considerations.

Funding for the program is secured for 2026 as well, and based on last year’s experience, it will continue with minor adjustments. To ensure effective care, the local government continues to collaborate with veterinary clinics operating in the district.

Veterinary care is not cheap, but it is essential for responsible pet ownership. This program helps ensure that as many pet owners as possible can take their pets for vaccinations, microchipping, spaying/neutering, or other important health examinations. Dog and cat owners in District 8 can apply for the subsidy for up to two animals per household.

Two veterinary clinics in the district are participating in the program:

TutiVet (6 Horváth Mihály Square)

Visit the TutiVet website at this link, or contact them by phone: 06 20 490 5959

Vet-Art (11 Horváth Mihály Square)

You can reach the staff at Vet-Art at this number: 06 1 333 0948

The program will run until the 4 million forint budget is exhausted!

How can you apply for the subsidy?

To apply for the subsidy, you must first submit an application to the Customer Service Office of the Józsefváros Mayor’s Office in person or via email.

You can pick up the application form in person at the Customer Service Office (1082 Budapest, Baross utca 66-68) or download it by clicking on the file below!

Animal Health Application Download

The completed application must be submitted in person at the Customer Service Office at 66-68 Baross Street, or sent electronically to the email address ugyfelszolgalat@jozsefvaros.hu.

In addition to the application, you must submit the following documents:

• Copies of your ID card and residence card
• A copy of the animal’s health record (not required if the animal is individually identified [chipped])

• In cases of special conditions, copies of documents certifying these conditions (e.g., a pensioner’s ID card in the case of a pension, or the decision granting the benefit in the case of other specified social benefits—details on special conditions are provided below).
• If you are sending the application to our Customer Service via email, please attach the above documents to the email.

The Customer Service Office of the Józsefváros Mayor’s Office is open during the following hours:

• Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

You can find the Customer Service at this link.

If you wish to receive assistance for two animals, you must submit separate applications, and the Office will issue certificates for each animal.

If you are eligible, an Office staff member will issue a personalized document to you within 8 days of submitting the application and will also maintain a registry of program participants. We will notify you of the issuance of eligibility via email, but if it is more convenient for you, you may also pick up the document certifying your eligibility in person at the Office’s Customer Service (1082 Budapest, Baross utca 66-68).

Once you have received the certificate from the Office, please schedule an appointment with the veterinary clinic of your choice and present the certificate received from the Office on-site. The veterinarian will perform the procedures agreed upon with you and professionally recommended based on the presentation of the certificate and your identification documents.

IMPORTANT!

The program provides retroactive funding to veterinarians; however, animal owners who meet the general eligibility criteria must have sufficient funds available upfront to cover the cost of the necessary procedures. Animal owners who also meet certain social criteria are only required to contribute a co-payment if the veterinary bill exceeds 70,000 forints (for example: for an 80,000 forint bill, a 10,000 forint co-payment is required)

Who is eligible for this subsidy?

You are eligible for the subsidy if the following apply to you:

• The pet owner has a permanent address or place of residence in District 8 or is a tenant with a lease agreement in District 8
• The participant is the owner/keeper of the animal
• The animal’s official place of residence is in District 8
• The animal must be individually marked and have a pet health record (obviously, this does not need to be verified if the pet owner wishes to have the animal individually marked; in the case of cats, this is not mandatory under any circumstances)
• A household may participate in the program with a maximum of two animals

If the above conditions are met, the animal owner is eligible for a certificate granting a 50% subsidy, up to a maximum of 50,000 forints per animal per household, for the veterinary services provided. If the program is launched again next year, the animal owner is eligible to participate annually.

Here’s an example of how the subsidy works: if you meet the above conditions and take a dog for a combined vaccination costing 15,000 forints, the local government will pay 7,500 forints of that amount to the veterinarian, and you will only have to pay 7,500 forints on the spot. If you utilize additional veterinary services and the total cost rises to 140,000 forints, the municipality will cover 50,000 forints, and you will only need to pay 90,000 forints on-site.

Pet owners in need are eligible for higher subsidies!

If, in addition to the general conditions above, the participant meets any of the following special conditions, namely:

• is a retiree, or
• receives benefits for working-age individuals, or
• receives a nursing care allowance, or
• receives a child home care allowance, or
• has received extraordinary municipal assistance within the past year since participating in the animal welfare program, or
• is unemployed, or
• an animal owner who meets the general conditions and also has the animal spayed or neutered
• then the subsidy rate is 100%, and in this case, the participant is eligible for a subsidy of up to 70,000 forints per animal per year per household.

So in these cases, you do not have to pay anything for veterinary care with a total cost of 15,000 forints. In the case of a total cost of 140,000 forints, the municipality pays 70,000 forints to the veterinarian, and you only have to pay 70,000 forints.

If you have any questions regarding the Józsefváros Local Government’s veterinary program, please feel free to contact our colleague, Ádám Balogh, Animal Welfare Officer: