Overview

• A law nicknamed “¿con quién se queda el perro?” requires divorce and separation agreements to address pets’ custody, visitation, maintenance and veterinary care.
• Judges may now order shared custody arrangements for companion animals to ensure their care and welfare in breakup cases.
• Lawmakers said the sentience provision harmonizes the Civil Code with the city’s charter, citing Supreme Court rulings that tie animal welfare to the right to a healthy environment.
• Mexico City becomes the first jurisdiction in Mexico to incorporate these companion‑animal protections into its Civil Code.
• The initiative was introduced by Movimiento Ciudadano’s vice coordinator Luisa Ledesma Alpízar, with floor support from Royfid Torres, Morena’s Yuriri Ayala and the Green Party’s Elvia Estrada.