Puerto Morelos Gets Its First Animal Welfare Centre

For years, stray and abandoned dogs and cats have been a daily reality on the streets of Puerto Morelos. That is about to change. On August 26, Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz broke ground on the municipality's first-ever Animal Welfare Centre, a long-overdue project that residents and animal advocates have been pushing for.

A 6 Million Peso Investment

The centre carries an initial price tag of 6 million pesos and will be built on land already owned by the municipality. Construction is being carried out in two phases. The first phase, set to be completed later this year, will cover 277 square meters of purpose-built space. The second phase follows in 2027, rounding out the full facility.

Secretary of Public Works Mario Salinas Castro confirmed the building will feature a mixed masonry foundation, hydraulic and sanitary installations, and specialized finishes throughout.

What Will Be Inside

The centre is designed to be a full-service facility, not just a shelter. It will include a veterinary office, an operating room, a post-operative recovery area, and dedicated spaces for sterilization and vaccination campaigns. There will also be a reception area, administrative offices, and an outdoor recreation zone built specifically to prepare animals for responsible adoption.

The project was designed with input from IMPLAN, the Municipal Planning Institute, along with the Secretariat of Environment, Animal Welfare, and Sustainable Mobility.

More Than Just Animals

Mayor Blanca Merari said the project is intended to improve both animal welfare and public health by expanding access to sterilization, vaccination, and other preventive services.

By offering sterilization, vaccination, and disease prevention services, the new centre directly addresses those risks for the entire Puerto Morelos community.

A Promise, and a Deadline

The Mayor framed the groundbreaking as a commitment her administration intends to keep before its term ends. She said the completed centre will be delivered as a "Promise Fulfilled" as the administration wraps up in 2027.

For Puerto Morelos, which became an independent municipality in 2015, the centre addresses a long-standing need for dedicated animal welfare services. It is a small town making a big step forward.