Animal Welfare Advocates Demand Citizen Input on Playa del Carmen Regulations

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Sergio Beristain, a representative of the animal advocacy group Dog Beach, has called on municipal authorities to reactivate the Animal Welfare Advisory Council, demanding that citizens have a say in upcoming revisions to the city’s Animal Welfare Regulation.

Beristain said the council has not been consulted for years and needs to be revived to jointly review provisions on animal welfare in the municipality.

“The council is a tool that was used previously, where rescuers, civil associations, and citizens worked with the city government on these issues, regulations, and sterilizations,” he said.

In recent weeks, news has circulated about new adjustments to the regulation, but Beristain stressed that these supposed changes have not been officially published nor shared with animal welfare organizations.

One proposed adjustment would make it mandatory to use leashes when walking dogs, while another would make it easier to euthanize animals. The activist said the latter is most concerning, as it appears to use euthanasia to reduce the number of stray dogs on the streets.

Beristain said he recently requested working sessions with municipal officials and is awaiting a response.

“We want to sit down at a working table so that we are all on the same page,” he said.