MEXICO CITY—Humane World for Animals Mexico is pressing legislators to urgently pass a strong General Animal Welfare Law— to ban animal cruelty and strengthen animal protection nationwide. Revisions to Mexico’s constitution in 2024 required the government to create a new animal protection law within 180 days, a deadline which has long since expired. Humane World for Animals Mexico is urging policy makers to bring forward the legislation before the current legislative session concludes later this month. To demonstrate the strong mandate for such a law, the organization commissioned a national in-home survey which shows that the public overwhelmingly supports stronger animal protection: 91% support banning all forms of animal cruelty and establishing severe penalties for offenders, while 8 out of 10 of those surveyed (79%) consider it very important to legally recognize animals as sentient beings.
Antón Aguilar, executive director at Humane World for Animals Mexico, states: “A General Animal Welfare Law is not only legally required under the constitution but is also an ethical imperative for a society that seeks to respect life in all its forms. We respectfully urge legislators to pass a strong and progressive bill during this session. The public supports a bill that acknowledges animals as sentient beings, includes strong penalties for animal cruelty and takes animals into account in disaster preparedness and response planning. Let us not waste this historic opportunity. A weak law would fall short of the aspirations of a constitutional reform that cost so much to achieve. A strong law, on the other hand, can mark the beginning of a new era for animals in Mexico.”
In November 2024, Mexico approved a constitutional reform on animal welfare, recognizing animal welfare as a fundamental principle within the Constitution. This reform enables Congress to legislate in support of animal protection, mandates humane education in schools nationwide and ensures that animal protection will be safeguarded against future legislative changes. Various draft proposals are under discussion, both in the Senate and in the Chamber of Deputies. Yet, Humane World for Animals insists that many of these proposals need to be enhanced through deliberations by the relevant congressional committees— before being subject to plenary vote.
Humane World for Animals Mexico calls on the Chairs of the Environment Committees of the Senate, Sen. Maki Ortiz, and the Chamber of Deputies, Congresswoman Gabriela Benavides, to include ambitious provisions in the draft General Animal Welfare Bill and expedite the plenary vote on this important bill.
The numbers speak for themselves
The national survey commissioned by Humane World for Animals Mexico also reveals high support for other animal protection issues and provides policy makers with a significant public mandate for an ambitious and far-reaching bill.
- 94% agree with compassionate measures such as spay/neuter programs and community engagement for the ethical management of stray dog and cat populations.
- 92% agree with banning the consumption of dog and cat meat for human food.
- 86% believe animals should be included in disaster preparedness and response planning.
- 75% believe animal testing should be restricted to last-resort situations where no alternative methods are available.
Humane World for Animals has actively participated in multiple public forums held in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, contributing scientific evidence and the voices of thousands of people committed to animal protection to improve the content of the various General Animal Welfare draft bills. For over a decade, the organization has worked in Mexico to reduce animal suffering and improve the lives of companion animals, as well as animals on farms and in laboratories. The organization has also played a key role in advancing and achieving federal bans on dogfighting and cosmetics animal testing, the recognition of animals as sentient beings in the Mexico City Constitution, and, more recently, the adoption of an animal protection bill in Oaxaca, the last state lacking such legislation.
To learn more and add your voice to this cause, Humane World for Animals Mexico invites citizens to sign and share the online petition: Sign the petition
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Methodological note: National in-home survey conducted by Parametria from March 27–30, 2026. Target population: persons aged 18 and older with valid voter ID residing in Mexico. Sample size: 800 interviews. Theoretical margin of error: ±3.5% at 95% confidence level. Results are estimates based on expansion factors.