Playa del Carmen Dog Abandonment Crisis Grows

Playa del Carmen — The number of abandoned dogs in this destination is on the rise, to the point where several groups dedicated to rescuing animals from the streets are now overwhelmed, according to Mariel Salazar of the Playa del Carmen animal welfare association Acción Animal.

Association Receives Up to 15 Calls Daily

Salazar indicated that the association receives between five and 15 calls daily from people who want to give up their pets because they have had a baby, are moving house, or had previously picked the animal up from the street and no longer have the time or space for it.

"We can receive almost 5 to 15 calls a day from people who want to leave their dog because they moved, because they had a baby, because they are going on a trip and have nowhere to keep it, because they found it and are no longer allowed to move with the dog. So if you work out a percentage, I think the same thing must be happening to all the associations; we see the number of animals that could be abandoned. We cannot cover everything," Salazar stated.

Raising Awareness to Reduce Abandonment Cases

She added that the association's work has been fulfilled as much as possible, which is precisely to educate people on how a dog should be treated so that cases of abandonment decrease.

"Our objective is to rehabilitate dogs with extreme abuse and put them up for adoption. We work for the welfare of animals, so sometimes we may sound harsh, but it is for their well-being. So people have been gradually educating themselves on how to treat a dog. We always carry the banner that having a dog is not an obligation; it requires love and responsibility from every owner, that the dog is in good condition and that there is no abandonment," Salazar said.