Cancun, Q.R. — As of April, it is now mandatory for dog owners to register their pets with the city of Cancun. The free procedure could see pet owners fined if their dog is caught being unregistered.
As of April 14, Cancun dog owners must go in person to the Municipal Animal Protection and Welfare Directorate to comply with the mandatory registration.
According to the document published by the government of Quintana Roo, “domestic street fauna” is a problem that they are trying eradicate in the municipality of Benito Juárez (Cancun).
For this reason, they have established a system for stray dogs. Their goal is to sterilize as many as possible so they can be put up for adoption. As long as the dog is not registered as being owned, the city can move forward with the procedure.
Stray cats and dogs on Cancun streets will now be held for 72 hours inside the city facilities, after which time, they will be spayed/neutered and then adopted out if they are without a registered owner.
Owners of registered pets found wandering on Cancun streets can be handed a 1,034 peso fine if the pet is claimed within 72 hours. Owners who exceed their animal claim after 72 hours are fined 1,556 pesos.
If the animal is not sterilized, the owner will be given an option to cover the spay/neuter process in lieu of a city fine. That process will be carried out by the Directorate of Protection and Animal Welfare.