The reforms comprise changes to three separate articles of Mexico’s Constitution. The most foundational change amends the Constitution’s Article 73, which dictates what Congress has the authority to legislate on. The article now gives the federal government the power to issue laws on animal welfare and protection.
Previously, animal welfare was largely left up to local and state authorities, and the result has been uneven laws and enforcement across the country. While all states in Mexico have animal protection legislation, just three include farmed animals: Hidalgo, Colima, and as of last month, Oaxaca, following pressure from animal advocates. And though Mexico does have a federal law on animal health that focuses on farmed animals and includes some broad mentions of animal welfare, it was created to protect human health rather than animals. The same goes for Mexico’s federal wildlife law, which was written with a focus on sustainability and conservation, rather than on protecting individual animals from cruelty.
Perhaps the most significant part of the reforms is an amendment to Article 4 of Mexico’s Constitution prohibiting the mistreatment of animals and directing the Mexican state to guarantee the protection, adequate treatment, and conservation and care of animals. The language is broad, Ramirez says, but she sees it as a substantial improvement over existing animal welfare laws. She and other advocates worked to ensure that no animals were excluded, particularly given that farmed animals have historically been left out of animal protection.
“It’s really, really important in Mexico to start with this first step — but a big one — because now it’s all animals” that are covered, Ramirez said.
The changes to Articles 4 and 73 tee up the creation of federal legislation on animal welfare. Under these reforms, Mexico’s Congress has been directed to write a first-of-its-kind General Law of Animal Welfare, Care, and Protection, a comprehensive bill that would address and develop regulations preventing the mistreatment of all types of animals, including farmed animals, wildlife, animals in laboratories, and companion animals, Aguilar said.
This general animal welfare law will need to consider animals’ “nature, characteristics and links with people,” according to the reform decree released last week. What does this actually mean? Ramirez gave the example of chickens: Part of the natural behavior of these animals is to be able to spread their wings and move around. But if chickens are stuck in cages, as is standard practice on egg factory farms, they can’t do either of those things. Now, the idea is to develop legal criteria that would consider the ability to express these natural behaviors as part of their welfare. (The language could also be interpreted to prioritize human needs, however — particularly the reference to animals’ “links with people.” Animal Equality said they would interpret this through an animal welfare lens, and with the word “link” invoking what humans owe animals.)
Finally, Article 3 of Mexico’s Constitution, which pertains to the education system, was also amended to require that animal welfare be included in school curricula for grade school and high school students. Aguilar said this change could help “attitudes shift and change in a very enduring, long-term way” for future generations. But the new constitutional language is unspecific, and the devil is in the details.
Advocates in Mexico have two focuses going forward, Ramirez and Aguilar said: shaping the general animal welfare bill into a strong piece of legislation, and working with the Ministry of Education to get meaningful implementation of animal welfare into the national curriculum.
It will also be important for lawmakers working on the new animal welfare bill to avoid industry capture. Various stakeholders will want a say
What were the inconsistencies in animal welfare regulations in Mexico prior to the constitutional reforms?
## Mexico Makes Historic Move for All Animals, Alex Reed Says
**Host:** Welcome back to the show. Today we’re discussing some exciting news about animal protection in Mexico. Joining us is Alex Reed, an animal rights advocate with [Organization Name], who helped campaign for these changes.
**Alex Reed:** Thanks for having me. It’s really a historic moment for animal welfare in Mexico.
**Host:** Absolutely! Can you tell us more about these Constitutional changes?
**Alex Reed:** Sure! These reforms are huge because they change the entire landscape of animal protection in Mexico. For the first time ever, Articles 4 and 73 of the Constitution have been amended to explicitly include animal welfare.
**Host:** What does this mean practically?
**Alex Reed:** Well, before these changes, animal welfare was mostly handled at the state and local levels, leading to a patchwork of laws and enforcement that varied wildly across the country. Some states didn’t even include farmed animals in their protection laws [[1](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/animal-protection-legislation-to-punish-abuse-in-mexico/)].
**Host:** So this change gives the federal government the power to create nationwide animal welfare laws?
**Alex Reed:** Exactly! This means Congress has been mandated to create a comprehensive “General Law of Animal Welfare, Care, and Protection.” This law has the potential to cover all types of animals – farmed animals, wildlife, companion animals – and set clear standards for humane treatment.
**Host:** That’s amazing! What makes this so significant, beyond just the legal framework?
**Alex Reed:** What’s really exciting is the language in Article 4. It prohibits the mistreatment of *all* animals, and directs the Mexican state to actively protect and care for them. This sends a powerful message: animal welfare is now a national priority.
**Host:** What can our viewers do to help support this effort?
**Alex Reed:** Stay informed about the progress of the General Law, contact your representatives to voice your support for strong animal welfare provisions, and continue to advocate for animal rights in your own communities.
**Host:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Alex Reed. This is certainly a major step forward for animal protection in Mexico.
