A woman was detained in Saltillo, Mexico, on suspicion of dragging a dog behind a luxury vehicle, according to the Coahuila state prosecutor’s office. The animal, named Rocky, remains in intensive care with a guarded prognosis, medical sources report. The arrest followed citizen complaints and social media posts that showed the alleged abuse in the Villas de San Miguel neighbourhood. A second individual, identified as the suspect’s husband, was also taken into custody for allegedly obstructing the investigation and threatening authorities. The mayor of Saltillo, Javier Díaz González, publicly condemned the act and stated that no one is above the law.

In Brazil, a series of operations targeted animal mistreatment and illegal trafficking. In Petrópolis, a city in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, an American Bully dog was seized after a family reported its aggressive behaviour had prevented them from moving inside their own home. The municipal animal welfare coordinator said the dog had been previously returned by another adopter for similar reasons and would now undergo behavioural rehabilitation. In São Paulo, the Metropolitan Civil Guard rescued more than 60 dogs and birds from a kennel in the city’s southern zone. Authorities said the animals were found confined in cages amid faeces and urine, many sick and chained as breeding stock. The owner, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested on suspicion of mistreatment and irregular commerce; the animals were transferred to a protection NGO for care.

Further north, in São José do Rio Preto, environmental police have sent over 600 seized wild animals to the municipal zoo for rehabilitation this year alone, most of them birds. Zoo managers explained that many cannot be returned to the wild because prolonged human contact has erased their survival instincts. Recent operations uncovered a capuchin monkey and two exotic snakes kept without permits in a private home, and 66 birds held in small, dirty cages, three of which died before rescue.

In Colombia, animal welfare groups issued urgent appeals for foster homes. A puppy named Pastel, rescued with her mother and siblings during a sterilisation drive, awaits a temporary home in Bogotá until she is old enough to be spayed and formally adopted. Separately, a sterilised stray dog that had been wandering for over a month in the capital’s southern neighbourhoods was the subject of an emergency call for a foster placement to shield it from cold and exposure.

In a case unrelated to animals, the recently hired city manager of Sausalito, California, was charged with four misdemeanours after being found inside a stranger’s yacht at the municipal harbour. Marin County court records show Elaine Forbes, 53, faces counts of prowling, lodging without consent, and petty theft. A family spokesperson said Forbes was experiencing a mental health crisis and believed she was on her own vessel. She has been placed on leave while the city council evaluates the facts. Investigations into all incidents remain active, with legal proceedings underway in Mexico and the United States.