Shocking: Mérida’s Stray Dog Epidemic

In the city of Mérida, there are an estimated 4,800 stray dogs roaming the streets. This startling figure was revealed by José Antonio Ríos Pérez del Valle, director of the Planned Pethood Veterinary Hospital and member of the Advisory Council for the Protection of Fauna in the municipality.

The council has been collaborating with the Autonomous University of Yucatán (Uady) to conduct a study using scientific methods and internationally approved strategies. The aim of the study was to estimate the number of stray dogs in the city, a figure that has greatly surprised council members.

"The truth is that the number is quite shocking. Personally, I think it is lower than what we see day by day going to our work or school, but it seems to me that there are about 4,800 dogs living on the streets only in Mérida, not in the townships or conurbal municipalities", said Pérez del Valle.

In light of these figures, the Advisory Council for the Protection of Fauna has started brainstorming solutions to address the problem. One of the ideas being considered is the "Community Dog" program. This initiative involves a neighborhood or community taking responsibility for the care of street animals.

Pérez del Valle emphasized that the program needs to be well-structured at a societal level and legally sound in order to be implemented effectively. This strategy is based on the scientific principle of "Carrying capacity of the earth". The "Community Dog" program aims to keep the stray dog population under control by ensuring the dogs are healthy, sterilized, vaccinated, and non-aggressive.

The extermination or eradication of animals is not a viable solution, as other dogs will always fill the void. Instead, the "Community Dog" program allows for dogs to live on the streets, but in a controlled and healthy manner.