People who feed stray dogs and do not adopt them are sanctioned with a fine of up to 4,000 pesos or jailed up to 36 hours in Papalotla, Estado de México.
This is a measure taken by the municipal government after several dogs were killed earlier this year. The new law was criticized by animal protection organizations.
“How many of us feed stray animals on the street because we can not adopt them? And of course, the INEPTAS authorities from @papalotlaedomex do not implement ethical and effective control programs. We are definitely screwed with these public servants,” an animal rights group called Apasdem tweeted.
On April 24, the Papalotla government published a “Public Health Statement” on its Facebook page, informing the public of the new measure.
“It is the obligation of the inhabitants of the municipality of Papalotla to take responsibility for the possession of dogs and cats as their property, identify them, vaccinate them against rabies, sterilize them, prevent them from wandering freely on public roads,” said the statement.
“If any inhabitant of the municipality feeds any stray dog, it will be taken as their property and must comply with everything stipulated previously and if not be credited with a penalty of up to 50 UMAS (50 times the minimum wage) or up to 36 hours of administrative arrest.”
The announcement indicates that people who distribute food waste with the intention of feeding stray dogs have effectively taken responsibility for them. So if they refuse to vaccinate the stray and allow it to continue to wander in the street, they will be charged with animal cruelty.
Source: El Universal
