The video gives a good insight into what is going on in Cuba regarding pet abandonment when their owners migrate to Florida, USA. It seems that a lot of them leave their pets behind and they do this perhaps not because of carelessness but because it costs too much to take them with them.
Transporting an animal from Havana to Miami through a specialised agency can cost up to US$1200 including medical examinations and the flight. And since September, pet owners have had to pay an additional US$1300 to comply with a legal obligation of quarantine.
The average monthly salary in the state sector in Cuba is about $21. A tiny salary by American standards. And it appears that looking after a companion animal in Cuba is pretty well untenable financially because a 20 kg bag of imported dog food can cost up to $70 and a visit to the vet about $10.
The migration exodus from Cuba to America and other countries is apparently enormous. The gross domestic product in Cuba fell by 2% in 2023 and there is rampant inflation. There are food and fuel shortages. No surprise, then, that Cubans want to get out of the country and are forced to leave their pets behind.
This leaves a very large burden upon animal rescue organisations within Cuba. They do have animal welfare laws in Cuba and a degree of animal welfare activism which took shape in 2018 it appears because the Internet was widely accessible at that time.
The animal rights activists encouraged the government to pass a long-awaited animal welfare law which is nice to see but animal welfare campaigners say that it is not enough. One of these people believe that animal abandonment is "the worst form of animal abuse". I believe that there is poor enforcement of these laws making them ineffective.
And, as you know, he says that "the increase in migration has resulted in more pets being abandoned". And there has been a "loss of values" in Cuba because of the deepening economic crisis.
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