Pet abandonment increases in Mexico

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Mexico is the Latin American country with the highest rate of stray dogs, according to INEGI figures; of the 18 million pets in the country, 70% live on the streets and in social isolation.

The covid pandemic worsened their situation, as the abandonment of pets has become a relevant issue during the quarantine.

According to the  Environmental and Territorial Ordinance Attorney’s Office  ( PAOT ), about 500 thousand dogs and cats are abandoned each year, and the figure increased 20% annually before the pandemic, but recently shelters and animal protectors have shown an increase at the reception of abandoned cats and dogs.

The reality behind the indiscriminate abandonment of pets lies in the irresponsible adoption by the owners, since most of these specimens are acquired and given away without being aware of their care on dates such as Christmas,  Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Day and  Three Kings Day. .

Figures from the PAOT show that seven out of ten companion animals acquired in these seasons end up on rooftops and in the worst of cases abandoned to their fate before reaching one year of life.

To these factors was recently added the false belief that dogs can contract and transmit Covid-19, which together with the abandonment also led to attacks, as according to a statement issued by the  Attorney General’s Office  ( PGR ), from January to In March of this year, complaints about animal abuse occupied the first place of concern among the public, with 38.35% being the files under investigation.

Source: pmxportal.com

The Mazatlan Post