Cancún Animal Welfare Office Closed Indefinitely

Cancún, Q. Roo — The facilities of the Benito Juárez Directorate of Animal Protection and Welfare have remained closed since the beginning of November, with the municipal government having provided no estimated date for reactivating the services it provides to the public.

According to an internal circular, the closure is in response to an administrative restructuring and preventive and corrective maintenance work, both in the offices and operational areas. However, after nearly three weeks since the announcement, the building remains completely out of service: the main access points are covered with metal sheets, the gates remain padlocked, and there is no staff in the vicinity.

As part of the restructuring, the head of the department was also replaced, a move that, according to municipal government sources, is part of a general adjustment to reinforce inspection work, address citizen complaints, and provide care for domestic and stray animals.

The lack of services has generated uncertainty among animal welfare associations and independent rescuers, who point out that the department is crucial for procedures such as adoptions, sterilizations, channeling reports, and the removal of animals in risky situations.

To date, the municipality has not issued a public statement detailing the progress of the restructuring or the timeline for resuming activities. On social media, the department only announced a free sterilization campaign organized in conjunction with PETA, which will not take place at its facilities, but in the Valle Verde neighborhood on November 29 and 30.