A woman from the United States suffered deep hand wounds Friday morning after a pitbull attacked her and seriously injured her small dog at Parque La Plancha, Mérida’s flagship urban park. The incident has renewed questions about security and leash-law enforcement at the busy public space.
The woman, whose name was not reported, told bystanders that she walks her small dog along the park’s covered walkway every day and had never had trouble there despite the variety of dog breeds that visitors bring. Around 8 a.m., she passed a man walking a pitbull on a slack leash. The owner lost control of the animal, which lunged and bit her right hand, then attacked her dog.
The small dog suffered severe blood loss and injuries to multiple parts of its body and was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic. The woman’s hand wounds were visible enough that passersby stopped to help when they saw the blood.
The pitbull’s owner, who lives about two blocks from the park, agreed to cover medical costs for both the woman and her pet. Accompanied by a bystander who had been assisting the victim, he returned home to secure the dog and promised to come back to escort her to a clinic. He was also unnamed.
While waiting, the woman expressed frustration that the National Guard — which has a presence in Mexico’s major public spaces — does not patrol the entire park. “They can kill a person and there are no guards to defend you,” she said. “It is a very large park and there are no guards watching all of it.” She called relatives to report the attack and reassured them she was otherwise OK.
A Growing Park, Growing Pains
Parque La Plancha opened in November 2023 on the site of Mérida’s former railyard, a 50-acre expanse that community groups had pushed to transform into a public green space for three decades. The park quickly became one of the city’s most popular destinations, drawing families, joggers, dog walkers, and tourists daily to its covered walkways, amphitheater, lake, museums, and food market. Read more about its history at yucatanmagazine.com.
The park’s scale — several city blocks — has been both its main selling point and a logistical challenge. With 129 video surveillance cameras installed at opening, security infrastructure exists, but critics say staffing hasn’t kept pace with the crowds.
What the Law Says
Mérida’s municipal fauna protection regulations require that dogs in public spaces be kept on a leash and collar at all times. For animals that pose a potential risk, a muzzle is also required. Under the rules, owners whose pets injure another person or animal are legally responsible for all resulting medical and veterinary costs, on top of any applicable penalties.
The city’s animal services portal specifically cites these requirements — Articles 21 and 22 of the Reglamento para la Protección de la Fauna — as applicable to all parks and public areas. Enforcement, however, remains inconsistent.
Dog attacks involving pitbulls have become a recurring issue in Mérida and across the Yucatán Peninsula, with local media reporting incidents with some regularity. Nationally, the breed draws periodic calls for tighter regulation, though Mexico has no federal breed-specific legislation. Diario de Yucatán reporter Joaquín Chan Caamal, who covered Friday’s attack, noted that it was “one more pitbull attack in the city and the state.”
What to Know: Dogs at La Plancha and Mérida’s Rules
- Parque La Plancha, in central Mérida near Calle 55 and Calle 48, is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily
- Dogs are permitted in the park but must be leashed at all times under Mérida’s municipal regulations
- Potentially dangerous breeds must also be muzzled when in public
- Owners are legally responsible for any injuries or damage their animals cause
- To report animal-related incidents or file a complaint: merida.gob.mx/faunamerida
- Animal cruelty or neglect can be reported to Yucatán’s Fiscalía General del Estado, Unidad Especializada en Delitos de Maltrato Animal Doméstico
Sources: Diario de Yucatán; Reglamento para la Protección de la Fauna en el Municipio de Mérida, H. Ayuntamiento de Mérida; Yucatán Magazine