Cubans searching for a better future leave their pets behind

HAVANA (AP) — Balto, Pepa and Mami were among the lucky ones.

After being abandoned by their owners who left Cuba — or simply couldn’t care for them anymore — the dogs were rescued by animal rights activists on the island, who fed them, sterilized them and found them a new home.

Many others didn't have such luck, and were left wandering the streets.

While there are no official figures or estimates of how many pets have been left behind by their owners who leave the island, the number of abandoned cats and dogs has spiked in the last two years as Cubans migrate in record numbers, animal activists say.

“We’d receive a phone call from someone asking us to care for their pets, because they’re suddenly migrating and don’t know what to do with them,” said Elizabeth Meade, founder of Adoptions for Love, an animal shelter in Havana.

Although the shelter found a home for some 300 rescued pets in the past year, many of those were returned — or simply went missing — after their new owners also decided to migrate. For these animals, said Meade, “it’s not always a happy ending.”

Between October 2021 and September 2024, U.S. authorities reported more than 600,000 encounters with Cubans — a significant number for an island of roughly 10 million people. That is in addition to the thousands who choose to migrate to Spain or other Latin American countries.

For many Cubans, taking their pets with them is not an option.

Transporting an animal from Havana to Miami through a specialized agency can cost up to $1,200 — including medical examinations and the flight — and, since September, pet owners have to pay an additional $1,300 to comply with a legal obligation of a quarantine.

For those who remain in Cuba, daily life is not easy: the country’s gross domestic product fell by 2% in 2023, resulting in rampant inflation and food and fuel shortages.

Caring for a pet on the island can be prohibitive for most Cubans. While the average monthly salary in the state sector — the largest employer — is about $21, a 20-kilo bag of imported dog food can cost up to $70 and a visit to the vet costs the equivalent of $10.

The increase in the number of abandoned pets in Cuba has been largely countered by animal activism, a phenomenon that began to take shape in 2018 after the Internet was massively adopted and social media helped coordinate actions.

In 2021, animal rights activists scored a win when the government passed a long-awaited animal welfare law, which seeks to prevent cruelty and raise awareness about the need to protect animals. The law also penalizes animal cruelty, including dogfights, and the sacrifice of animals for religious purposes but activists say it is not enough.

“Abandonment is the worst form of animal abuse,” said Leandro Valdés, a dog trainer and proud owner of Koffee, a rescued dog that has gone viral as he rides around Havana in the back of Valdés’ motorcycle, wearing goggles and a seatbelt.

“The increase in migration has resulted in more pets being abandoned,” says Valdés, noting the “loss of values” that resulted from Cuba's deepening economic crisis.

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