Playa del Carmen Shelters 142 Dogs, Expands Adoption Drives Amid Criticism

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The city’s animal control center is sheltering 142 rescued dogs, prompting officials to expand adoption drives even as local lawmakers question the facility’s ability to handle the stray dog crisis.

The Center for Animal Control, Assistance and Zoonoses (CENCAAZ) currently holds 142 dogs rescued from abandonment, abuse or illness, according to the city’s Environment Department. The department said it will strengthen its permanent adoption program to find homes for rehabilitated animals and free up space for new intakes.

The announcement came days after city council members challenged CENCAAZ’s operations, alleging the center had stopped receiving animals and that Playa del Carmen faces a growing stray dog problem.

About 80 dogs ready for adoption

Kandy Mendoza Ramírez, the department’s director, said roughly 80 of the 142 dogs at the shelter are ready to be adopted. She said the municipality has rescued more than a hundred animals that were victims of abandonment, mistreatment or disease, making it essential to promote responsible adoption so the center can keep responding to citizen reports.

“We started these Adoptamanía drives and will be holding them frequently because it’s important that people adopt rather than buy,” Mendoza Ramírez said. “The first edition went very well — seven dogs were adopted, and for us that’s a joy because responsible pet ownership is not easy.”

The Adoptamanía events will now run on a permanent basis. The department invited residents to visit CENCAAZ, located in the Bellavista neighborhood, to meet the available animals and go through the adoption process.

Mendoza also said the department has streamlined its animal welfare complaint system, funneling all reports through one channel and using a priority scheme so inspectors respond first to the most urgent cases. She acknowledged that many complaints stem from neighbor disputes over pets rather than actual abuse, and each case is evaluated before inspectors are dispatched.

“We ask the public for patience because our inspectors are in the field every day, and we have an internal traffic light system to address the most urgent cases first,” she said. “Responsible pet ownership is not only the government’s responsibility — it’s everyone’s.”

Council member: shelter no longer accepting dogs

The official account contrasts with criticism from city council member Orlando Muñoz, who told a recent council session that CENCAAZ had stopped taking in animals and warned that abandoned dogs were overrunning the city.

“CENCAAZ no longer accepts animals. We no longer have a dog pound, and the city is filling up with dogs, but there’s no explanation about what we’re going to do with street dogs,” Muñoz said. “They won’t even pick them up if they’re feral.”

Mendoza reminded the public that abandoning or mistreating animals can lead to administrative fines and criminal prosecution. She conceded, however, that rescued dogs continue to arrive at CENCAAZ daily, confirming the problem persists and that addressing it will require not just government action but also public involvement through adoption, sterilization and proper pet care.