Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz on Monday launched two mobile veterinary units that will offer free sterilization and basic medical care for dogs and cats across the city’s nine delegations. The program, called “Tijuana Ciudad Perruna y Gatuna” (Tijuana Dog and Cat City), is backed by a five million peso investment (roughly $250,000 USD).
The two units carry specialized surgical equipment and will be staffed by trained veterinary personnel. Services will include spay and neuter surgeries, basic veterinary checkups, and first aid for animals involved in emergencies such as fires, rescues, or abuse cases.
Free Services Across All Nine Delegations
City officials said the mobile clinics will rotate through all nine of Tijuana’s administrative delegations, targeting working-class colonias where residents have limited access to private veterinary care. The program aims to reduce the city’s stray dog and cat population through sterilization while promoting responsible pet ownership.
“We are driving concrete actions to strengthen a culture of respect, protection, and responsible ownership of companion animals,” Burgueño Ruiz said at the launch event.
Nonprofits Already Working on the Problem
The municipal initiative joins existing efforts by nonprofit organizations operating in the Tijuana area. Groups like Friends of Humane Services Tijuana and the Baja California Spay Neuter Foundation have run free and low-cost sterilization clinics for years, often in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. The Baja California Spay Neuter Foundation operates a clinic on Avenida Miguel Inclán in Colonia Miramar and deploys its own mobile units to communities across Baja.
Tijuana has long struggled with animal overpopulation. Stray dogs are a common sight in many colonias, and animal welfare groups have pressed the city government to invest in large-scale sterilization programs rather than relying solely on volunteer efforts.
The city has not yet published a schedule showing when and where the mobile units will operate. Residents can watch for announcements from the municipal government regarding upcoming clinic dates in their delegations.
The program launch was first reported by Semanario ZETA and Uniradio Informa Baja California.