Chetumal’s Stray Dog Crisis Nears 100,000 Animals

Chetumal. – In the city of Chetumal, there are approximately 90,000 dogs living on the streets, making it a major public health problem and a social issue associated with animal abandonment. According to the Municipal Health Directorate of Othón P. Blanco, owners often simply throw animals onto the streets without concern for handing them over to responsible associations or homes.

Eric López Cruz, head of the mentioned area, stated that the problem originates primarily from animal abandonment. These animals end up on the streets, and when they are not sterilized, they reproduce uncontrollably, leading to a significant increase in the stray animal population. The population of dogs in this situation is already approaching 100,000.

Similarly, he noted that there is still a lack of social awareness, particularly among animal owners. Many animals that remain in homes are reported because they are found in poor health conditions such as starvation, malnutrition, exposed to harsh weather without shelter, or in the most severe cases, physically abused.

In this regard, he mentioned that around seven citizen reports are handled daily, coming from both emergency numbers and social media. Authorities strive to provide immediate attention to these cases. In total, so far this year, more than 100 cases of animal abuse and lack of animal welfare have been addressed.

However, regarding formal complaints, only five have been filed, and three cases have been prosecuted for serious animal abuse and failure to comply with recommendations issued to owners by authorities.

On the other hand, he emphasized that reports of dog attacks or bites have been minimal. However, there are also reports from street food vendors because stray dog feces, when turned into dust, blow everywhere with the wind, affecting their businesses. This is part of the public health problem as food becomes contaminated.