Mexico: Oaxaca Approves Its First Animal Protection and Welfare Law, Includes Farm Animals

By Dulce Ramírez @ 2024-11-12T00:21 (+1)

On November 11, 2024, the Oaxaca Congress unanimously approved its first Animal Protection and Welfare Law, making Oaxaca the last state in Mexico to pass such legislation. 

This law provides protection for farm animals raised for human consumption, including pigs, cows, chickens, and hens, during their breeding and slaughter phases. Oaxaca is now the third state in Mexico to adopt comprehensive protections for these animals, following similar reforms in Hidalgo and Colima.

Before this law, over 9 million animals were slaughtered annually in Oaxaca without any regulations to protect them during their time on industrial farms. Now, the law mandates humane practices such as stunning before slaughter, access to adequate food and water, safe housing, and appropriate breeding practices. It also prohibits the production and sale of force-fed products like foie gras and requires video surveillance in slaughter areas.

Key regulations for chickens include limiting overcrowding, banning forced fasting, and establishing criteria for labeling cage-free eggs. This milestone is a significant step in Mexico’s growing commitment to animal welfare, driven by advocacy from Animal Equality.

This was made possible through Congresswoman Melina Hernández's initiative, with the support of Humane Society International, the Association of Veterinary Specialists of Oaxaca, represented by its President, Dr. Joel Trujillo, the Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca, through its Director, Eleazar Altamirano Mijangos and The Center for Social Studies and Public Opinion of the Congress of Oaxaca (Cesop).