Every year from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month offers a powerful occasion to honor the rich cultures, vibrant communities, and profound historical contributions of Hispanic and Latino people across the globe. For PETA Latino, this commemorative period also serves as an invaluable opportunity to celebrate the influential voices, dedicated advocates, and passionate supporters who are actively helping build a kinder, more compassionate world for animals.
And looking back over the past year, it has been a truly remarkable period of growth, mobilization, and historic milestones.
Throughout 2026, animal advocates, legal experts, and grassroots organizers across Latin America boldly spoke out against antiquated bloodsports like bullfighting, challenged cruel and obsolete laboratory experiments on animals, provided essential care for dogs and cats in desperate need, and pushed relentlessly for freedom and natural habitats for captive marine life. From filling metropolitan streets with striking, high-impact demonstrations to securing groundbreaking judicial rulings, the collective movement has achieved meaningful, lasting progress for vulnerable species. Yet, as organizers emphasize, this momentum is only just beginning.
Amazing Victories for Animals in 2026
Momentum Keeps Building Against Bullfighting
On Anti-Bullfighting Day, PETA Latino once again united cultural influencers, prominent artists, and everyday supporters to celebrate the steady retreat of tauromachy and to look ahead to a future where no bull suffers or dies for the sake of public entertainment. This year marked a transformative turning point, yielding significant and unprecedented legislative and judicial victories in the long-standing campaign to eradicate bullfighting.
Among the most notable developments, the city of Tijuana chose compassion over cruelty. When the return of bullfighting threatened to revive the bloody spectacle after a three-year hiatus, the city’s mayor, Abdiel Gutierrez, intervened directly to cancel the scheduled events. Shortly thereafter, bolstered by legal support from PETA Latino and Abogados Animalistas México, local councilwoman Magaly Ronquillo spearheaded an official initiative that led to the full repeal of the Regulation of Bullfighting Shows, effectively banning bullfighting within the municipality.
Meanwhile, the state of Yucatán continued its decisive departure from institutionalized animal cruelty. Strategic legal actions backed by PETA Latino and Animal Heroes compelled a federal court to prohibit the use of physical weapons, debilitating devices, and other practices that inflict deliberate pain and suffering on bulls during ten scheduled bullfights in May 2026. These efforts successfully secured seven definitive suspensions across seven distinct cities throughout Yucatán, making the traditional execution of these events legally impossible and directly sparing the lives of dozens of bulls.
Ethological science confirms that intelligent, social bulls form deep, complex bonds with other members of their herds and possess a strong, natural desire to live. Every single victory against this brutal spectacle translates to fewer animals subjected to a terrifying and violent death.
An Animal Test Was Halted
Laboratory animals achieved a major judicial win when a federal judge suspended the notorious Forced Swim Test at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in Mexico. The suspension was secured through a targeted lawsuit filed jointly by PETA Latino and Movimiento Animalista de Puebla.
In this widely condemned experiment, researchers drop small, sensitive animals—such as mice and rats, who are known for their strong family bonds and inquisitive nature—into inescapable containers filled with water, forcing them to swim exhaustively for their lives until exhaustion sets in. The court-ordered suspension marks a critical step forward in the broader effort to dismantle these cruel, scientifically obsolete, and pointless tests within academic institutions.
PETA Latino Gave Hundreds of Dogs and Cats a New Lease on Life
Addressing the root causes of companion animal homelessness and overpopulation requires accessible, proactive solutions, foremost among them being spaying and neutering. Throughout 2026, PETA Latino maintained its unwavering commitment to this vital welfare work.
Clinics supported directly by PETA Latino provided hundreds of dogs and cats with lifesaving surgical care across Mexico and Puerto Rico. By offering free sterilization procedures, these clinics have effectively prevented thousands of animals from being born into a cycle of abandonment, chronic neglect, and the harsh realities of life on the streets.
Dolphins Got a Helping Hand
Marine conservation and animal rights took center stage on April 14, when PETA Latino dedicated World Dolphin Day to educating the broader public about the systemic psychological and physical harms of marine park captivity, while urging citizens to take direct action.
The organization partnered with prominent cultural influencers who used their digital platforms to advocate for marine life, directly lobbying authorities in Quintana Roo to establish the region’s very first protected seaside sanctuary. The initiative aims to provide captive dolphins with a semi-natural marine environment, offering a stark alternative to the cramped concrete tanks where they are traditionally exploited.
PETA Latino’s Demos and Events That Turned Heads
Taking Animal Liberation to the World Cup
When international soccer fever brought the World Cup to Mexico, PETA Latino seized the massive public platform to reach thousands of sports fans with uncompromising messages of universal compassion. In Mexico City, activists joined forces with influential public figures and celebrity supporter Sofía Sisniega to promote the health and ethical benefits of delicious vegan eating. Simultaneously, in Guadalajara, passionate supporters organized a high-profile public rally protesting the city’s ongoing tolerance of bullfighting, directly urging mayor Verónica Delgadillo to ban the cruel spectacle once and for all.
Confronting H&M Over Wool
PETA Latino’s aggressive campaign against the global wool industry drew intense public scrutiny in Mexico City through a striking demonstration outside the flagship H&M store on Madero Street.
Supporters wearing bruised, bloodied sheep costumes formed an unyielding human barrier outside the retail location. Clutching lifelike models of dead sheep, the demonstrators urged holiday shoppers and passersby to confront the hidden violence embedded in everyday fashion choices. The theatrical yet somber display aimed to humanize sheep, reminding consumers that these animals are gentle, family-oriented creatures who suffer immense trauma when commercial wool producers forcefully shear them and tear them away from their natural flocks.
Celebrities Speaking Up for Animals
Throughout 2026, high-profile personalities and well-known artists from across the Spanish-speaking world leveraged their substantial media platforms to champion animal welfare and encourage widespread empathy.
Andrea Meza Rallied for Being Vegan
Andrea Meza, the 2020 Miss Universe titleholder, used her prominent voice to remind global audiences that true beauty begins with personal ethics and keeping kindness on the plate. Posing for a striking PETA Latino campaign, Meza emphasized the environmental, health, and ethical imperatives of adopting a plant-based lifestyle.
Ariadne Díaz Inspired Action for Bulls
Ariadne Díaz, star of the hit television series Papás por Conveniencia, partnered with PETA Latino for a compelling promotional campaign and video inspired by The Story of Ferdinand, the classic children’s fable about a peaceful young bull who resolutely refuses to fight in the bullring, choosing tranquility over violence instead.
Kate del Castillo Spread Her Wings for Birds
In a visually arresting campaign for PETA Latino, internationally renowned actor and PETA honorary board member Kate del Castillo delivered an unequivocal message regarding the illegal wildlife trade and the commercial pet industry: birds do not belong in cages.
Castillo articulated the core philosophy of the campaign, declaring that "every caged bird is a stolen life." She drew public attention to the acute psychological stress, profound loneliness, and physiological deprivation that birds endure when humans capture them from their native habitats or breed them in mass captivity merely to be sold as household commodities.
Chiquis Took a Bath for Dolphins
Ahead of Boycott SeaWorld Day on July 24, Latin Grammy Award-winning singer Chiquis executed a dramatic public statement by transforming herself into a mermaid trapped inside a standard household bathtub. The striking visual metaphor vividly illustrated the severe confinement and psychological distress that intelligent marine mammals experience daily within the cramped, sterile tanks of commercial marine parks.
Ale Müller Was Chained to a Rooftop to Speak Up for Neglected Dogs
Ale Müller, star of Diseñando tu amor and La CQ, took on a harrowing and deeply uncomfortable role for PETA Latino’s domestic animal welfare campaign. Posing in a state of distress with a heavy chain fastened around her neck on a desolate, exposed rooftop, Müller’s imagery served as an unvarnished wake-up call regarding the widespread neglect of backyard and rooftop dogs. The campaign underscored the fundamental welfare principle that companion dogs require indoor shelter, social integration, and safety as part of the human family, rather than being tethered outdoors in isolation.
Help Write the Next Victory Story
As Hispanic Heritage Month unfolds, PETA Latino extends its profound gratitude to every supporter who signed advocacy petitions, shared digital campaigns, attended public demonstrations, and spoke out on behalf of vulnerable animals over the past year. Every institutional victory and legislative milestone achieved is a direct result of committed individuals taking concerted action. With continued public involvement, the movement will press forward to secure even greater protections for animals across the region.
Supporters looking to engage directly can join PETA Latino’s dedicated WhatsApp community to receive real-time updates on urgent actions, upcoming victories, and immediate opportunities to make a tangible difference for animals.
