Playa del Carmen Launches Animal Protection Brigade with Zero Tolerance for Abuse

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Mayor Estefania Mercado launched the Playa del Carmen government’s Interinstitutional Animal Protection Brigade on Tuesday, vowing zero tolerance for animal abuse in the municipality.

Speaking from the Municipal Citizen Security Department’s plaza, Mercado said the unprecedented operational strategy will leave no room for impunity in cases of violence against domestic pets or wild animals.

“Today marks the birth of the Playa del Carmen Government’s Animal Protection Brigade, a brigade that comes to rescue, protect, and act,” Mercado said. “We created it together with Citizen Security, Civil Protection, and Environment to defend our dogs and also our wild fauna.”

Immediate Response Protocol

The new Animal Protection Brigade will operate under an immediate response protocol designed to address:

• Injured animals or victims of direct violence
• Cases of extreme negligence
• Deprivation of food or water
• Confinement in unsanitary conditions
• Situations of imminent death risk

The team will consist of environmental inspectors, Animal Control personnel, and operational staff from the Citizen Security Department, who will coordinate their actions according to Quintana Roo’s current regulations.

Citywide Deployment

Mercado announced the brigade will be deployed in neighborhoods, beaches, and public spaces, while also monitoring citizen reports on social media to strengthen a culture of reporting abuse.

“Every rescue will be reported and every life will count,” she affirmed.

The strategy includes not only sanctions but also guidance, mediation, and prevention, with the goal of building a culture of respect and responsible pet ownership.

Animal Welfare as Public Policy

With this action, the Playa del Carmen government establishes animal protection as a central public policy, linked to social and environmental development and the construction of a more humane and sustainable city.

“In Playa del Carmen, anyone who abuses an animal will not have impunity; they will face a firm government committed to those who have no voice,” the mayor stated.

The brigade launch was attended by Municipal Citizen Security Secretary Carlos Montesinos, Secretary of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change Kandy Mendoza, and Secretary of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention and Firefighters Darwin Covarrubias.