Personally, I think it's odd to travel to a foreign country and try and dictate to them. I mean, if everything were like it was back home, why would we go there.

The local government is who changed the rules, ignoring agreements already made and basically telling residents and visitors with pets, many who are longtime visitors if not also property owners, que vayan a la chingada.

You may want to look at Spain or Italy for your next Vacation spot.

Personally, I think it's odd to travel to a foreign country and try and dictate to them. I mean, if everything were like it was back home, why would we go there.

I have always marveled at how poor people are so tolerant of homeless animals. Hate to say it, but these dirt poor Mexicans treat homeless animals better than we treat homeless people.

Rules in Mexico are purely a suggestion. Very obvious when it comes to noise, guns, drugs, etc. A pet on the beach on a leash before 9am by a tourist or responsible citizen, is not breaking the law. Maybe this next winter I will coordinate a Dog Walk and get 100 people to show up at the same time on La Ropa and do a demonstration walk for FREEDOM! WOOF WOOF....

I would gladly accompany you and even carry the poop bags, which I would not hesitate to defend myself with at the first sign of repression of my constitutional rights as a proud but indignant naturalized citizen whose patrimony is being hurt.

More to come...

Time to raise a bunch of money for SPAZ and get the females spayed. Catch them, sterilize them, break the cycle.

We'll help.

I have 2 families friends that say if La Ropa wont allow their dogs on the beach they are going to cancel and try some other area that is more friendly. Is this being brought in cause of the guy at La Perla doesnt want dogs on the beach. He was the leading force to stop the dogs a few years ago. With this new ruling along with the virus scare, I dont think the tourist related business are going to do too good

Francisco of La Perla and Carlos of Casa del Mar as well as the wife of the mayor are the major proponents of this as far as I can tell. Since the mayor doesn't live off of tourism he sees the funds allocated for the certification as a means of paying off political favors and nothing more. Apparently no one seems to care that the certification attracts not one single tourist, but I'm surprised that they don't care that it causes us to lose tourists. I still have letters from people who sold their properties and moved away from Ixtapa and others who stopped going to Ixtapa, some coming to Zihuatanejo instead, when Ixtapa's beach was certified and pets banned.

I can't rally the citizens of Zihuatanejo by myself, and too many people don't want to speak up, so little by little we keep losing in these matters that really have no popular backing, simply politicians doing what's convenient for them. I simply don't have the means or the time to dedicate myself to such things as some people do. The current government wants to renege on a promise made by a previous one, and some of the people needed to fight this battle such as Doña Eva of the Catalina are simply unable to take up the cause. I'd love to see some young people who care take up this cause, but they seem not to have the sense of civic duty, discipline or moral convictions necessary.

"Everyone likes to complain about the weather but no one wants to do anything about it."

The first year of the Playa la Ropa blue flag s=it is only between the new artisans alley between Villa Mexicana and The Thompson north to the end, Casa que Canta.

We don't see how they can certify the rest of the beach because part of the process requires (as I read it) no glass-think El Pirata, La Perla and others, on the sand and no animals including feral dogs. Right now there are a couple of good sized packs that are on the beach at least daily.

It will be interesting to see how the Sotovento Beach Club handles beer bottles as well as Patty's and the rental chairs north of La Cantinita. Hopefully it won't work and they will report it so that the flag can be taken down.

We moved here permanently thinking we could keep the blue flag away. We can't apply for citizenship for 15 more months, then it takes up to one year. THEN we can protest and try to prevent this from going further.

This is a civic matter, not political. You pay taxes, own property, are a legal resident, and after being extorted by the Ecología office they owe you big time. You have a valid voice. I urge you to use it.

We don't see how they can certify the rest of the beach because part of the process requires (as I read it) no glass-think El Pirata, La Perla and others, on the sand and no animals including feral dogs. Right now there are a couple of good sized packs that are on the beach at least daily.

It will be interesting to see how the Sotovento Beach Club handles beer bottles as well as Patty's and the rental chairs north of La Cantinita. Hopefully it won't work and they will report it so that the flag can be taken down.

We moved here permanently thinking we could keep the blue flag away. We can't apply for citizenship for 15 more months, then it takes up to one year. THEN we can protest and try to prevent this from going further.

The Catalina is a nice hotel and not inexpensive. People who care enough to bring their pets along on a vacation to a location like that take better care of their pets than most people do of their children.

Kids poop and pee in the water. Their parents regularly leave gross diapers around.

If these pampered pets poop the owners bag it up and dispose of it properly.

What about hygiene? What people who are uncomfortable around dogs? Rabies?

You probably shouldn't come to Mexico if hygiene is an issue. Rabies? Are you friggin' kidding me? The beach is full of all kinds of excrement from birds, crabs, fish and other critters that live near the beach. Never mind irresponsible humans who are by far the biggest polluters on any beach.

We're talking about people's pets. Not street dogs.