Members of Vínculo Animal PR and other organizations held a demonstration in front of the Capitol on Sunday to demand stronger protections and less violence toward animals. Sahir Pujols, executive director of Vínculo Animal PR, called for greater implementation of Law 154 for the Welfare and Protection of Animals. She said animal abuse is on the rise in Puerto Rico and that when complaints are filed, police stations sometimes say they lack officers to handle them, or the case does not proceed.
Pujols added that the law sets minimum care standards for animal guardians and that many people are not meeting them. Vivian Godoy, spokesperson for Alianza Voces por los Animales, said acts of violence against animals that many people have normalized are seen daily, from abandoned dogs and cats to animals used for entertainment, horses kept in inadequate conditions, and wild and exotic animals that are trafficked, illegally kept, or used irresponsibly.
Demonstrators also demanded mass sterilization of abandoned and homeless animals and the removal of horses as a vehicle category in the Traffic Law. They called for a moratorium on the sale and breeding of exotic animals to control invasive species; Pujols said Representative Adriana Gutiérrez has filed a bill for a five-year ban on their sale and reproduction.
Pujols also asked for stricter oversight of slaughterhouses, saying they are reportedly not following animal welfare protocols in the meat industry.