MEXICO CITY—Mexico moved closer to establishing its first nationwide framework for animal welfare today as the Senate’s Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee, together with the First Legislative Studies Committee, approved the proposed General Law on Animal Welfare, Care and Protection. The bill recognizes animals as sentient beings and establishes national standards for their care and protection.
If passed, the legislation would give effect to Mexico's constitutional reform on animal protection, published in December 2024, which prohibited animal mistreatment and gave Congress the authority to legislate nationwide on the issue. For the first time, a general law would establish common animal welfare standards and set responsibilities for federal, state and municipal authorities.
Humane World for Animals Mexico welcomes the current text, which includes many of the protections the organization has advocated for and reflects concerns raised by Mexicans in a national survey commissioned earlier this year. The organization contributed to the legislative discussion through consultation forums in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, sharing scientific evidence and technical recommendations alongside legislators, authorities, experts and other civil society organizations.
Antón Aguilar, executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico, said:
“Today’s committee vote is an important step toward turning the promise of Mexico’s constitutional reform into protections that can make a real difference in animals’ lives. We are encouraged to see animals recognized as sentient beings, stronger protections against cruelty, inclusion of animals in disaster preparedness and humane management of stray animal populations. We know the text can still be strengthened and that Mexico can aim for even more ambitious protections. But every step forward matters. We therefore urge the Senate to bring the bill to the floor for a favorable vote, so that the process can continue in the Chamber of Deputies and Mexico can move toward stronger, more effective protection for animals.”
What the bill means for animals
- Recognizing animals as sentient beings. The bill recognizes animals as sentient and incorporates the Five Domains of animal welfare—nutrition, environment, health, behavior and mental state.
- Stronger protections against cruelty. The legislation defines and sanctions animal cruelty and mistreatment, including abandonment, reiterates prohibitions of dogfighting, and creates a national registry of offenders.
- Humane management of dog and cat populations. It provides for sterilization, rehabilitation, return and adoption and recognizes community dogs and cats cared for collectively by local residents.
- Including animals in disaster preparedness. The text incorporates animals into civil protection and emergency planning.
- Reducing animal use in research. It incorporates the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, prioritizing alternatives to animal use and maintains Mexico's ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
The legislation also strengthens oversight of companion animal breeding and sales, incorporates animal welfare education and training for public officials, and creates new national information and registration mechanisms.
Making the law work for animals
If approved by the full Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, and subsequently published, the law would take effect after 60 days. Federal and state authorities would then have up to a year to issue regulations and standards, harmonize state legislation and set up the new registries.
Because implementation would rely on existing public budgets, strong coordination and sufficient institutional capacity will be essential. Humane World for Animals Mexico will continue to encourage authorities to ensure that the law is not only ambitious on paper, but delivers meaningful improvements for animals across the country.
Opportunities for improvement
The bill leaves responsibility for regulating bullfighting and cockfighting to individual States. While a more ambitious approach would have been to prohibit these practices nationwide, it seems the decision was made to prioritize meaningful progress rather than allow the broader reform to stall over issues where consensus could not yet be reached. Importantly, several states, including Sonora, Guerrero, Coahuila, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, and Michoacán, have already enacted full bans on bullfighting. In 2025, Mexico City also prohibited the use of weapons that injure or kill bulls, effectively requiring bloodless events. Subsequently, Plaza de Toros México announced the suspension of all bullfights. Humane World for Animals, together with other organizations, is advocating for a ban on these types of spectacles in Hidalgo.
