Karla Martinez doesn’t have a lot of leisure time to spend with the 54 cats in her modern home and shelter in midtown Guadalajara.

In response to two separate complaints of animal cruelty registered last week, Chapala’s ecology office took swift action to rescue three adult dogs and four newborn puppies found to be living in squalid conditions without adequate food or medical care.

The Parque Metropolitano on the western outskirts of the Guadalajara metro area is to allocate a sizable chunk of its grounds as a dedicated playground for dogs.

Red Parque Caninos, which has pioneered the opening of two parks in Guadalajara designed exclusively for dogs, has focused its eyes on Puerto Vallarta, where it hopes to create a “pet friendly” beach.