Senate Passes Landmark Animal Welfare Law in Mexico

Mexico’s Senate unanimously approved the General Law on AnimalWelfare, Care and Protection today, a significant step towards establishing a nationwide framework for animal protection. The bill, which recognizes animals as sentient beings and sets national standards for their care, is now headed to the Chamber of Deputies for a final vote.

Key Provisions of the New Law

The legislation includes provisions to recognize animals as sentient, incorporating the Five Domains of animal welfare (nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state). It also strengthens protections against animal cruelty, including the prohibition of dogfighting and the creation of a national registry of offenders. Furthermore, the law addresses humane management of dog and cat populations through sterilization and adoption programs, incorporates animals into disaster preparedness planning, and reduces animal use in research by prioritizing alternatives and maintaining a ban on cosmetic animal testing.

Humane World for Animals Mexico welcomed the bill, highlighting its inclusion of protections for animals as sentient beings, stronger cruelty prohibitions, disaster preparedness measures, and humane management of stray populations. Antón Aguilar, executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico, stated that while the text can be strengthened, the legislation represents a crucial step forward.

The law is expected to give effect to Mexico’s constitutional reform on animal protection, enacted in December 2024, which prohibited animal mistreatment and granted Congress the authority to legislate nationwide on the issue.