HAVANA, Dec. 31th The Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Ministry of Public Health estimates that there are over 200,000 street dogs in Cuba (in 2012), the majority located in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and Santa Clara.

Dogs are most often turned out into the streets due to disease, pregnancy, or old age, or because the owners move, divorce or leave the country. Some dogs are lost without identification tags and cannot find their way home again.

On the streets, dogs’ health degrades quickly. They survive on bones and dirty water. Workers with Zoonosis (the Cuban animal control / dog catchers) believe that stray dogs transmit diseases and cause traffic accidents.

“Capture and slaughter” is the method most used to resolve the situation.
Once captured, “adoptions are minimal” and “the vast majority are killed”.

“Protection plans for strays can be expensive, and it is not a priority.”

People interviewed in the article “feel shame for the way dogs are treated” and for the situation in general. A woman in Santa Clara urged people to be kind…”a little affection, a plate of food, a pot of water. Nothing is lost.”

In 2016, TAP and Aniplant pledge to continue our mission of spaying/neutering to prevent unwanted animals and to educate Cubans about the need for sterilizations and animal health care. And we will assist Nora Garcia and her team however we can to lobby for greater animal protection laws in Cuba.
Thank you for your continued support.

Peace, love and happiness to you and yours!
The Aniplant Project