From Slaughterhouse to Shelter: Cancún’s Animal Wellness Makeover

Cancún's former Municipal Slaughterhouse is currently undergoing a transformation into a new Animal Welfare Center. This comes after the successful completion of legal procedures required to change the land use. City officials have already started the process of removing movable assets and materials from the old slaughterhouse. The remodeling of the space is set to begin within a week, starting with the placement of the cornerstone.

The Animal Welfare Center is projected to be operational by September, backed by an estimated investment of 9 million pesos. Additionally, authorities are working on revisions to the Animal Welfare Registration Regulations. This is to enforce penalties on pet owners who fail to register their pets in the Municipal Registry. At present, only around 8,000 of the estimated 200,000 pets in Cancún are registered.

Yaraledis del Rosario Tucuch Santos, the director of Municipal Heritage, has stated that they are currently in the process of reviewing and decommissioning the movable assets and materials from the old slaughterhouse. Councilman Julio de Jesús Méndez Paniagua also mentioned that there are plans to potentially include a dome in the new Animal Welfare Center's facilities. This would help facilitate better coexistence and socialization among pets.

Currently, fines are only imposed if the Directorate of Animal Protection and Welfare takes custody of a pet and the owner retrieves it. However, with the proposed reforms, fines of around 1,500 pesos could be imposed on owners who utilize the services of the Animal Welfare Directorate.