The Government of Zacatecas enacted reforms to the Law for the Welfare and Protection of Animals, including the creation of the State Registry of Shelters for Stray Animals, new responsibilities for authorities and citizens, as well as support mechanisms for shelters and immediate attention to reports of animal abuse.
The decree establishes that the Ministry of Water and the Environment must “create and administer, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Health of the State Government, the State Registry of Shelters for Stray Animals.”
“We don’t know how many animal shelters exist in Zacatecas, nor how they are maintained,” stated the legislative initiative originally presented by Representative Maribel Villalpando.
She affirmed that having this information will allow them to “close the loop” by establishing support mechanisms for civil organizations dedicated to this work.
According to what was approved by the legislature, this registry must contain, at a minimum, the name of the responsible person, the shelter’s physical capacity and the number of animals cared for, the method of financing, and whether it has permanent veterinary care.
In addition, the agencies involved will have to ensure that the animals in their care receive adequate conditions for their development and are treated “in a dignified and respectful manner.”
The reform also stipulates that, when shelters lack sufficient resources, state and municipal governments may provide in-kind support such as food, vaccines, deworming, and veterinary care, according to their budgetary capacity.
Another change mandates that municipalities instruct their public safety agencies to immediately respond to reports or complaints of alleged mistreatment and cruelty against companion animals, go to the scene, and safeguard their well-being.
Among the new civic obligations are reporting acts of animal abuse, avoiding unnecessary suffering, picking up feces in public areas, controlling the reproductive cycle of pets, and not abandoning them under any circumstances in urban or rural areas.
Source: oem
