Thousands of Animals Saved by Mexican Governor’s Veto

A young Mexican activist is being credited with saving hundreds of thousands of animals by creating viral videos and hashtags that pressured a local governor to veto a bill that would have stripped numerous animal rights. Mercy For Animals reported that the organization’s Latin American Communications Coordinator Blanka Alfaro Pola led the charge against the “Animal Protection Act,” which was unanimously passed through the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon’s legislature. Contrary to its name, the bill would have left chickens, turkeys, pigs, cows, goats, and sheep without any protections; would have made the brutal sport of dogfighting a lesser offense; allowed the sale of companion animals in street markets; and would have left certain wild animals unprotected. Alfaro Pola created videos calling on compassionate citizens to rally against the bill and detailed the impact it would have on animal life if passed. Both went viral and spurred the launch of the hashtag #BroncoVetoInteligente, which people used in their own messages encouraging Governor Jaime “Bronco” Rodríguez Calderón to reject the bill. The campaigns were successful, and Governor Calderón declared he would veto the Act, saying “Congress passed a law that I think lacked a bit of discussion … Congress can re-propose it, but this time with a deeper discussion and taking into the account the opinion of those who do not agree with that Act.”