Overview
- On January 21, Deputy Laura Ballesteros of Movimiento Ciudadano submitted Igualdad Animal México’s General Law proposal to the Chamber of Deputies.
- The initiative was turned to committees for analysis and would later require votes in the full lower house and the Senate.
- The proposal sets nationwide standards, assigns responsibilities across federal, state and municipal levels, creates State Councils of Animal Welfare, and covers companion, working, research and food-production animals.
- Mexico failed to enact the mandated General Law by mid-2025 despite a 2024 constitutional reform recognizing animals as sentient, leaving protections fragmented.
- Activists note that 102 prior initiatives lapsed without debate and criticize a remaining PVEM Senate draft for excluding animals raised for human consumption, while alleging possible pressure from the meat industry.