Mexico’s Senate Approves Animal Welfare Law With Fines up to 229,000 Pesos

Mexico City — Mexico’s Senate has approved a General Law on Animal Welfare, Care and Protection that prohibits mistreatment and cruelty and obliges owners and caretakers to guarantee animals adequate nutrition, health, mental well-being and humane treatment.

The legislation recognizes animals as sentient beings with fundamental rights guaranteed by Mexico’s public institutions and establishes strict legal responsibilities for guardians in an effort to prevent pets from being abandoned in public or private spaces.

New Prohibitions and Duties

The measure also amends ecological regulations to explicitly ban prolonged chaining, confinement on rooftops and the permanent abandonment of animals outdoors. It penalizes the failure to provide basic care when that neglect compromises an animal’s health, mobility, rest or continuous access to shade and clean water.

The law further prohibits leaving animals inside vehicles under thermal conditions that endanger their physical integrity. Those who violate the rules will be required to repair the damage by covering the costs of maintenance, safekeeping and medical evaluation.

The Senate said in a post on X that lawmakers approved the creation of the law to recognize animals as sentient beings.

Enforcement and Penalties

The legislation empowers government departments to apply administrative penalties directly and expeditiously. Sanctions range from written warnings and administrative arrests of up to 36 hours to fines of between 57,460 and 229,840 pesos.

• Inspectors may shut down commercial establishments and seize animals when they find serious violent or negligent conditions.
• Government agencies will create an official registry of offenders to track those sanctioned.
• People listed in the registry will lose access to any public support intended for the care or protection of animals.
• Those sanctioned can shorten the length of their registration if they promptly comply with corrective measures and repair the damage caused.

The text distinguishes mistreatment from other forms of human interaction with animals, such as sports training or agricultural work. State institutions will align municipal regulations with international treaties and instruments already in force.

Timeline

The decree will take effect 60 days after its formal publication in the Diario Oficial de la Federación, Mexico’s official gazette. Awareness campaigns will accompany the law’s implementation to promote responsible adoption in communities across the country.