March 9, 2026
Mexico is redefining what’s possible when it comes to spay/neuter.
From February 14–24, 2026, the municipal government of García, a city in the northwest region of metropolitan Monterrey, launched what’s being called the largest free spay/neuter campaign ever conducted in Mexico — and quite possibly the world. Over 10 consecutive days, the “Mega Jornada Esteriliza con Amor” resulted in the sterilization and protection of 7,165 companion animals, prioritizing dogs and cats living on the street or in vulnerable situations.
The campaign was coordinated by the Director of Comprehensive Animal Welfare, MVZ Paulina Quintana, with the support of her technical and operational team. Funding for the project came directly from the municipal government.
García Mayor Manuel Guerra Cavazos supported this initiative from the start, emphasizing that spay/neuter is the best tool available for addressing animal population control at its source. In his words, “In this municipality, we don’t believe in killing [animals for population control]. We believe in public policies based in sterilization to stop abandonment.“
The effort involved 37 surgeons from across Mexico, alongside volunteers and veterinary students from multiple universities. To ensure access for all residents, the municipality arranged 120 taxis and Garcibús units to transport animals whose owners had no way to bring them to the surgical site.
The scale of what was accomplished is hard to overstate. The previous world record for a single sterilization campaign was approximately 4,000 animals — set in Costa Rica. García nearly doubled it.
And Mayor Guerra Cavazos isn’t stopping there. He has set a new goal of 12,000 additional surgeries for the remainder of 2026, signaling that this isn’t a one-time event — it’s the foundation of a sustained public health strategy.
From Observers to Surgeons to Trainers
One of the most inspiring dimensions of this campaign wasn’t just the number of animals helped – it was what happened among the veterinarians who showed up to help.
Throughout the event, Dra. Yazmin Valdez Barrientos, one of the participating surgeons who also happens to be president of Spay Mexico, kept hearing the same thing from colleagues: they wanted to stay involved. That enthusiasm is exactly the kind of momentum that turns a single event into lasting change.
Spay Global, whose training network underpins events like this one, teaches surgeons the gold standard of care — best practices and protocols designed not just to be used, but to be passed on. Once a surgeon is certified by Spay Global, they are equipped to go forth and train others in their hometowns and throughout the world, ensuring that high standards travel with them, not just the techniques.
That model is built around a simple but powerful idea: see one, do one, teach one. Every certified surgeon becomes a potential trainer. Every trainer expands their network.
Large-scale events like this one serve a dual purpose. They are highly visible moments for the public and the veterinary community alike. Inspiring, energizing, and impossible to ignore. But more than that, they are a catalyst. When veterinarians move from observers to surgeons, and from surgeons to trainers ready to carry what they’ve learned forward, that’s how sustainable, long-term change takes root — across Mexico, and beyond.
For those of us in the spay/neuter field, this is the kind of story we’ve been working toward: government leadership treating population control as a public responsibility, not just a nonprofit cause; and the veterinary community taking notice, and eager to pitch in.
United Spay Alliance is grateful to our friends at Spay Mexico and Spay Global for their leadership and vision – and to every surgeon, vet tech, support staff member, and volunteer who showed up and made this happen. 7,165 animals are safer because of you.
