The municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are hereby empowered to cooperate and help the CACO to establish, operate, build and become integrated and/or contribute to, through contributions from among the municipalities, in coordination with the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, the regional animal shelters, so as to provide temporary shelter for stray animals and develop a program for picking up strays, an adoption program and animal sterilization clinics.
The municipal programs for picking up stray animals, according to a protocol established by the CACO, shall be the priority provision set forth in this chapter and shall be a requirement in all efforts to implement the same. The other provisions for animal control through sterilization and better treatment through adoption concerning stray animals remain in effect.
These services shall be provided by the municipalities depending on their motivation and commitment in devoting resources for these municipal animal control programs.
History —May 30, 1984, No. 36, p. 95, § 1, renumbered as § 2 and amended on Aug. 30, 2000, No. 242, § 1; Sept. 22, 2004, No. 427, § 2.