A man took an American Bully dog named ‘Zeus’ without permission from its owner and allegedly drowned it at the beaches of Playa del Carmen, in the municipality of Solidaridad.
The presumed perpetrator was an employee of a merchant who had gone to Chetumal for the weekend. Upon returning, ‘Zeus”s owner was informed that one of their two pets had disappeared or been stolen.
After investigating, the owner learned what had happened and filed a complaint with the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the official report, the incident occurred at 1:48 PM last Sunday when the Tourist Police in that area received a report about an “aggressive” person on the beach.
Upon arrival, one of the lifeguards informed them that a man had entered the sea with a dog several times and, on the last occasion, drowned it before fleeing.
The lifeguards were unable to apprehend him, but they requested assistance from the Control Center to locate him, without success.
The incident was also reported to the Animal Welfare Center of the municipality (CEBIAM), whose staff took charge of retrieving the dog’s body.
In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, Jennifer Campos, the head of the Animal Welfare Center, explained that initially, based on information from beachgoers and first responders, they believed the owner was responsible for the dog’s death. However, the appearance of the true owner changed the course of the investigation.
Together with ‘Zeus”s owner, a five-year-old dog highly valued within the family, they filed the corresponding complaint with the State Prosecutor’s Office. According to the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, those who mistreat animals, commit acts of cruelty, engage in zoophilia, cause suffering, or inflict deformities on animals will be punished.
Furthermore, Article 179-Bis of the state Penal Code establishes that anyone who intentionally and unjustifiably commits acts of cruelty against any animal species, causing evident mistreatment, whether or not it endangers their life, will be subject to imprisonment. The penalty will increase by half if methods causing “severe suffering to the animal” were used prior to its death.
Article 179 TER specifies that if the act results in the animal’s death, the penalty will be one to two years in prison.
Jennifer Campos revealed that, according to the owner’s account, ‘Zeus’ lived with another dog in a small storage room at the family’s home.
A trusted employee took ‘Zeus’ without permission, apparently having done so on other weekends, to take the dog to the beach for photos and charging fees.
Some versions suggest that the dog was intentionally drowned, while others propose that due to its delicate breed, extreme weather conditions (high temperature that afternoon), and the physical strain it endured, it may have suffered overexertion.
Based on the studies conducted at CEBIAM, the dog died from bronchoaspiration.
‘Zeus’ was a very gentle dog, according to the owner, and everything was in order, including vaccinations and deworming. Perhaps it suffered from heatstroke and was put into the water. We don’t know for sure.
“But the complaint has already been filed with the Prosecutor’s Office. The person who took ‘Zeus’ practically fled. We are exploring the possibility of issuing a bulletin, but we have already called on the public to provide information that can help locate the individual,” she added.”
“Located in the Bellavista neighborhood in Playa del Carmen, the new facilities of CEBIAM opened on August 19, 2023, to provide protection and care for canine fauna in the municipality of Solidaridad.
The sanctuary features an adoption area, clinics, surgical facilities, public service offices, and plans for a pet cemetery and the acquisition of a canine ambulance.”
Source: El Universal
