PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – An outcry from animal rights activists over the death of 17 dogs inside the Puerto Vallarta Animal Health and Control Center has prompted a swift response from city officials. On Wednesday, August 30, the City Council voted to direct the Office of the Comptroller to begin administrative proceedings and, if necessary, criminal proceedings against those responsible for the incident.
Members of various pro-animal groups gathered at the town hall session on Wednesday to voice their concerns over what they believe are illegal killings. Their protest highlighted the alleged resurgence in the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals at the facility.
“The killing of healthy and adoptable animals has resumed at this municipal unit,” said Laura Espinosa, a representative of the Vallarta animal community. Espinosa referred to a previous commitment made by the current municipal president, Professor Luis Alberto Michelle Rodríguez. “Rodríguez had promised the animal community that such actions would not recur.”
Espinosa further emphasized the profound impact of these actions. She stated that these deaths signify violence exerted by the municipal authority and a betrayal to the many benefactors – animal protection associations, companies, and national and international citizens. These entities have for years supported the Animal Health and Control Center, providing substantial economic resources, donations in kind, and infrastructure.
The assembled activists demanded immediate action to halt such activities and urged a thorough investigation into the untimely deaths of the 17 dogs. In alignment with these demands, the city council has officially instructed the Municipal Comptroller’s Office to start the necessary investigations and proceedings against those accountable for this grievous act.
