The senator stated that the problem of stray animals “is not exclusive to Tecámac,” but a national reality, and confirmed that during her tenure, more than 80,000 dogs were assisted, with over 50,000 sterilizations, in addition to adoptions, recoveries, and donations. She described the situation as a “real crisis” of mass abandonment and uncontrolled reproduction, with sick and aggressive animals that “are also suffering in extreme ways, and we cannot reduce this to a simplistic, media-driven video that frames it as good versus bad.” The legislator defended that “governing is making difficult decisions when there are no perfect solutions” and affirmed that “every action taken was based on a clear principle: to reduce suffering, protect the animal population, and act in accordance with the law, and above all, protect the citizenry in general.” The Attorney General's Office of the State of Mexico (FGJEM) reported that it had initiated an official investigation into alleged acts of animal abuse in Tecámac, after the former mayor of that municipality and current senator for Morena, Mariela Gutiérrez, confirmed that during her administration, the order was given to kill 10,000 stray dogs. In a message posted on her X account, the prosecutor's office stated that the investigation was opened “regarding the material disseminated on social networks and the media where acts of alleged animal abuse against canines are shown” in that municipality in the State of Mexico. The institution specified that the facts could fall under crimes contemplated in article 235 Bis of the State of Mexico's Penal Code, which penalizes causing the death of animals that do not constitute a plague, as well as in article 235 Ter, which establishes aggravating circumstances when the abuse is committed by public officials responsible for handling animals. If these behaviors are proven, those responsible could face prison sentences of up to six years. Likewise, it indicated that the objective of the investigation is “to determine the responsibilities that may arise.” The controversy originated after a video was shared on social networks where citizens denounced alleged acts of animal abuse, which led to questioning of Gutiérrez's management as mayor of Tecámac between 2019 and 2023. During a press conference in the Senate, the legislator confirmed that the order to kill 10,000 dogs was given during her administration and maintained that these actions were carried out “in accordance with Mexican official standards and because people had already been attacked.” Gutiérrez stated that it was a matter of animals in “deplorable conditions” and considered that the information disseminated on social networks “takes what happened out of context.” She also added: “They had bitten, they had attacked people. I have photographs that the citizens themselves sent me. My communication with the people I governed in Tecámac, my fellow citizens, was always very open, always very straightforward.”
