Animal rights advocate Yenney Caballero reported on Monday the killing of animals in the city of San José de las Lajas, in the province of Mayabeque: “They wiped out all the dogs, leaving not a single stray alive.”
The young woman did not hide her sadness, indignation, and concern over the sacrifice of stray dogs to sell their meat in the informal market: “They didn’t consider the consequences of deceiving so many families, endangering the lives of children and pregnant women. Many of the dogs were sick, undergoing strong medications for cancer,” she posted on Facebook.
After the news broke about the detention of three men in Mayabeque who were killing dogs—some of which were strays, while others had been stolen—to sell their meat as if it were pork or lamb, Caballero shared the story of some dogs he had rescued.
He mentioned that one of them had undergone a remarkable transformation thanks to the support of those who donated medication to treat a tumor.
But in recent days, he had disappeared, which caught his attention: “These unfortunate souls have apparently killed him; he is nowhere to be found. He was always in his area, where he was fed and taken care of, and he has been absent for days.”
According to Caballero, people are victims for having purchased dog meat disguised as pork, but they are afraid to report it to the authorities: “If you consumed it, don’t be afraid; nothing will happen to you if you report this so it never happens again. Silence makes you complicit in something so serious.”
Finally, the young activist expressed her sadness over the lack of protection for animals in Cuba: "Poor little dogs, I can only imagine the suffering they must have endured in their last hours of life."
Regarding the recent sacrifice of dogs for meat sales in San José de las Lajas, the regime issued an official statement signed by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Those involved in these events will face “the strictest administrative, disciplinary, and regulatory sanctions applicable to this type of incident,” stated the government.
During times of extreme crisis in Cuba, there have been reports of instances where the population has turned to the practice of slaughtering companion animals, such as dogs and cats, for their meat.
Currently, as the country is experiencing a period of heightened scarcity, incidents of this nature have also been reported.
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