Guadalajara municipal officials are looking to bring an halt to the sale of live animals in the sprawling, open-air Baratillo flea market that encompasses dozens of streets on the east side of Guadalajara each Sunday.
Last Sunday, municipal officials paid calls on around 100 vendors who hawk animals of various kinds in the tianguis. Their aim was to offer the vendors assistance in changing the nature of their trade. No one was detained even though municipal ordinances prohibit the sale of animals in the public way and sanctions can run as high as 12,000 pesos. Previous administrations have tolerated the practice but new Mayor Enrique Alafro is keen that citizens have greater respect for city regulations and that corruption is eliminated.
Guadalajara authorities recognize that many of the vendors have been selling animals in the market for years and probably have no other way of making a living. They say they are willing to work with vendors to find alternatives before taking steps to have them removed from the market.
Animal activists have urged the vendors to accept the municipal government’s proposals and find new merchandize to sell.
The truth is that many of the animals on sale at the Baratillo Market are treated cruelly, said Monica Lepe of Dignidad Animal. “They are kept in small cages. There are also endangered species for sale, such as parrots and other birds.”
Another report this week suggested that some pet stores in Guadalajara use traders in the market to sell their animals.
One vendor quoted this week El Informador Spanish-language daily said he earned between 2,000 and 3,000 pesos selling an average of 15 puppies each Sunday. He said he takes good care of the dogs and has no other weekly income.