What we are doing
Impact stories, legislative updates, and news from the animal welfare movement in Puerto Rico.
Vieques: How a $5,000 grant transformed an entire community
FePA awarded a $5,000 grant to Our Big Fat Caribbean Rescue, Inc., a member organization based in Vieques. The impact was immediate and measurable: 1,400 free spay and neuter procedures, 89 rescues with successful adoptions, 209 community animals cared for and 50 families who received direct support to care for their companion animals. This story shows the multiplier effect of FePA’s strategic partnerships with its member organizations.
FePA visits Chivo Pets in El Salvador
FePA visited Chivo Pets, El Salvador’s public veterinary center, a clear example of what happens when a government makes a real commitment to its vulnerable communities and their animals.
Conference on service and emotional support animals
FePA president Yolanda Álvarez gave a talk on the legal aspects of service animals and emotional support animals as part of the 16th Annual Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Conference of Puerto Rico. The event was organized by the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus Alliance, OSHA and PR OSHA.
Teachers from all seven educational regions complete the first Humane Education session
From October 31 to November 14, 2025, FePA delivered its humane education training to teachers from all seven educational regions of the Department of Education. The sessions were led by Professor Bob Schwalb of LivingKind. The next session is scheduled for January 25 and 27, 2027.
More than 300 people take part in the “Animal Law” webinar
Through the Office of Citizen Participation, part of the Office of Legislative Affairs, more than 300 people attended a webinar on animal rights led by FePA President Yolanda Álvarez. The session covered Law 154-2008 and its recent amendments, Law 140-1974 on provisional remedies, the Civil Code provisions on animals, current executive orders and strategies to reduce the number of animals living on the streets.
FePA joins the vaccination drives of the House of Representatives
Throughout 2025 and 2026, FePA has worked alongside the vaccination drives of the Office of the Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, educating the community and providing educational materials and the supplies people need to care for their companion animals.
Is compassion forbidden? Decisions that condemn animals to abandonment
In a column published in Microjuris al Día, FePA President Yolanda Álvarez, Esq., examines the administrative and judicial decisions that ban feeding feral cat colonies in Puerto Rico. Her argument is legal before it is sentimental: a colony that depends on human care and loses it is, in practice, condemned to abandonment, and such a measure is hard to reconcile with the requirements of necessity and proportionality, or with the recognition of animals as sentient beings already set out in Law 154-2008 and the Civil Code.
Historic agreement with the Department of Education: ≈1,000 teachers, ≈117,000 students
FePA signed a six-year agreement with the Puerto Rico Department of Education to bring humane education into public schools. In the first year, close to 1,000 teachers were trained, which would reach approximately 117,000 students.
FePA advances legislation to create the Animal Welfare Division
FePA is advancing a bill to create the Animal Welfare Division, an independent body charged, among other things, with closing the enforcement gaps in Law 154-2008, developing strategies with municipalities to reduce the overpopulation of street animals, expanding access to veterinary services and spay and neuter programs in low-income communities, and setting working guidelines for animal protection and welfare.
FePA trains police officers, prosecutors and the community
FePA delivers training for police officers, prosecutors and the community on the applicable laws and follows up on reported cases.
OBRA carries its work forward with support from FePA
Thanks to the financial award FePA granted in February 2022, OBRA continues its animal welfare programs, creating a positive impact in communities, especially among children and young people. They have learned about volunteering, rescue and fundraising, and have taken an active part in campaigns that raise awareness about cruelty, rescue and, above all, animal adoption in Puerto Rico. Congratulations, OBRA!
Second FePA Convention brings together more than 100 representatives at the Wyndham Grand Río Mar
The second FePA Convention brought together more than 100 representatives from the sector at the Wyndham Grand Río Mar Resort, where they discussed Law 154-2008, compassion fatigue and successful legal reform strategies from other jurisdictions in Latin America.
A model school in Aibonito
FePA sponsors elementary school students in a program that prepares them to become the next generation of animal welfare advocates in Puerto Rico. The program combines education, community leadership and direct action to create real change from the ground up.
Spay to Save: cats spayed and neutered with Love for Paws and Guardian Angel
Through the Spay to Save program, FePA partnered with Love for Paws and Guardian Angel Animal to offer community spay and neuter services (TNR). Dozens of cats were sterilized, reducing overpopulation sustainably and with a direct impact on local communities.