Measures against irresponsible pet owners are being tightened in Quintana Roo

The 11 municipalities will have 365 calendar days to create and implement Municipal Registries of Canine Specimens Subject to Special Management.

According to the recent reforms and additions to the Law on Animal Protection and Welfare of the State of Quintana Roo, these registries will function as administrative instruments for identification and monitoring, designed to protect the safety of people, public health, and the well-being of the animals themselves. Unlike outdated models, this registry is not based on the animal’s breed, but rather on individual scientific and behavioral criteria.

Renán Sánchez Tajonar, local deputy and president of the Board of Government and Political Coordination (Jugocopo) of the 18th Legislature of the State Congress, stated that the recent approval of reforms to the Penal Code of the State of Quintana Roo and the Law on Animal Protection and Welfare aims to strengthen the responsibility of pet owners and prevent risks to society.

He explained that the modifications allow for a clearer classification and punishment of cases in which, through negligence, an animal causes injury or even death to a person, establishing penalties ranging from fines and community service to prison sentences of several years, depending on the severity of the harm.

He indicated that official statistics from the Federal Ministry of Health, as of the end of 2025, reveal a critical situation for the state, with a 28% increase in animal attacks compared to the previous year. Two thousand three hundred and thirty cases of dog bites were documented, representing an alarming average of six attacks per day in the state.

These figures solidify animal attacks as a public health problem stemming from the uncontrolled growth of the dog population and the lack of responsible pet ownership.

The implementation of the necessary actions will be carried out progressively, charged to the budgetary availability of the corresponding expenditure in the fiscal year 2027, and subsequent years in accordance with the institutional capacity and budgetary sufficiency of the municipalities.

Source: sipse