Aguascalientes, Ags.—The Aguascalientes State Environmental Protection Agency (PROESPA) and the animal protection organization Humane Society International/Mexico organized a three-day event that included round tables and a series of conferences, the goal being to professionalize efforts to protect animals, standardize protocols and propose improvements to local laws already in force.

“These have been three very productive days. The issue has awakened a lot of interest and it’s been great to see so many people, groups, organizations, boards and authorities finally come together to standardize protocols and professionalize this endeavor that has gathered such momentum in recent years,” said Felipe Márquez, manager of the HSI Mexico program against animal cruelty.

PROESPA, the Animal Health, Control and Welfare Center, the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Gendarmerie were just some of the authorities that met at the Railway Museum with animal protection organizations, independent rescuers and veterinary boards to discuss proposals to improve and update Aguascalientes’ animal protection laws.

The conferences were given by experts in different fields, like the lawyer Ana Larre, who worked with HSI on a bill to get dog fights prosecutable under the Federal Penal Code, Dr. Claudia Edwards, an animal behaviorist who specializes in felines and the running of shelters, and the veterinary Edgar Islas, who gave a talk on the importance of communications within organizations.

Likewise, Dr. Susan Monger and veterinarian Juan Carlos Almarez Ortíz, both instructors at International Veterinary Consultants, gave a specialized conference on neutering.

These round tables are expected to produce a series of bills that will be presented to the incoming Legislature with a view to reforming the State Animal Protection Law, Animal Protection Regulations for the Municipality of Aguascalientes, the State Penal Code and even the Aguascalientes Political Constitution.

Media Contact: Magaly Garabay, mgaribay@idee.agency