The city of La Paz began a free spay and neuter campaign on Monday, offering the surgeries to dogs and cats at no cost to residents through August 31. The program, run by the municipal Animal Control Center (Centro de Control Animal), aims to reduce the city’s stray animal population through sterilization rather than euthanasia.
La Paz Animal Control Center Handles Over 100 Spays Per Month
The campaign operates out of the Centro de Control Animal on Calle Durango in Colonia Pueblo Nuevo. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling (612) 122-3098. The center asks that pets arrive having fasted for eight hours before surgery, with no water for four hours prior.
La Paz has run similar campaigns in past years, but stray dog populations remain a visible issue across the municipality. Mexico’s national statistics agency, INEGI, estimated in 2021 that roughly 23 million dogs lived on Mexican streets. Baja California Sur, despite its smaller population, faces the same pattern. Stray dogs congregate around markets, beaches, and residential colonias throughout La Paz, posing risks of bites, disease transmission, and traffic accidents.
The municipal government has framed this campaign as part of a broader animal welfare strategy. Dr. Sergio Moyrón Lugo, the head of the Animal Control Center, told local media that the program prioritizes sterilization as the most humane and effective tool for population control. The center performs surgeries on both owned pets and animals rescued from the street.
This is not just a government effort. Local rescue organizations in La Paz, including Fundación Gatos BCS and several informal colonia-based groups, have long advocated for expanded access to affordable spay and neuter services. Private veterinary clinics in La Paz typically charge between 800 and 2,500 pesos ($47 to $147 USD) for spay surgeries, depending on the animal’s size and sex. That cost puts the procedure out of reach for many Mexican families, which is why free municipal campaigns tend to draw heavy demand.
Campaign Runs Daily at Colonia Pueblo Nuevo Clinic Until August 31
The service runs Monday through Friday during regular business hours at the Calle Durango facility. Pet owners need to bring identification and proof of La Paz residency. The center provides the surgery, post-operative care instructions, and basic medications. Recovery typically requires keeping the animal calm and confined for seven to ten days.
For those who have adopted street dogs or cats, the campaign offers a practical opportunity. La Paz’s expat community has a well-documented culture of informal animal rescue. Many foreign residents take in strays, and Facebook groups dedicated to La Paz pet adoption regularly post about animals needing homes. This campaign removes the cost barrier for getting those animals fixed.
The program also accepts animals that community members bring in from the street, even if they do not plan to adopt them. The center will sterilize, vaccinate, and release community cats under a trap-neuter-return approach when appropriate. Dog cases are evaluated individually.
One practical note: demand tends to spike in the first and last weeks of these campaigns. Residents who want to avoid long waits should schedule their appointments for mid-July or early August. The center can accommodate a limited number of surgeries per day, and slots fill quickly once word spreads.
Rabies remains a concern in Baja California Sur, though confirmed cases in domestic animals have dropped significantly over the past decade thanks to national vaccination campaigns. Still, unsterilized strays that roam and fight are the primary vector for the disease. Every animal sterilized is one fewer potential carrier reproducing on the streets.
The campaign also coincides with La Paz’s hot season, when dehydration and heat exposure kill vulnerable street animals at higher rates. Summer is breeding season for many dogs and cats, making the timing of the program relevant to curbing litter numbers before fall.
La Paz residents can call the Animal Control Center directly to book a date. Walk-ins are accepted when space allows, but appointments take priority. The center is located on Calle Durango between Calles Jalisco and Sonora in Colonia Pueblo Nuevo, roughly five blocks west of the Malecón. The campaign runs through August 31, with no extensions announced so far, as reported by El Sudcaliforniano.