"I'm outraged!": Animal rights activist accuses clinic of denying surgery to critically ill cat in Havana

A cat in critical condition after being run over was finally operated on this Monday in Havana, after animal rights activists reported that a private veterinary clinic refused to intervene in time, putting her life at risk.

The complaint was published on social media by the advocate Yenney Caballero, a passionate defender of animal rights in Cuba who described the situation as "outrageous."

According to Caballero's account on his Facebook profile, the cat was taken to the Mascolive clinic the night before, after it was found to have a fever and dead fetuses in her womb, a condition that required urgent surgical intervention.

However, the activist claims that the staff refused to operate on her, arguing that the cat had a fracture in a leg, something that —according to the complainant— did not prevent the surgery.

The clinic had only performed an ultrasound and charged 20,000 pesos for the operation, an amount that Caballero described as "a complete abuse," considering that it was a homeless animal and the procedure only involved removing the deceased fetuses and performing sterilization.

After the initial refusal, and following nearly 24 hours of efforts by the rescue team, the cat was taken to another clinic where she was finally stabilized and successfully operated on.

"The important thing is that we did it, that we did it as a team," wrote Caballero, expressing gratitude to those who collaborated to save the animal's life.

The activist also lamented that many people criticize without knowing the full situation and clarified that she is not in Havana, but is coordinating everything remotely.

In her post, she shared the bank card number 9238129976677130 for those who wish to contribute to the medical expenses and the transportation of the cat to the place where she will be temporarily staying.

Caballero concluded his message with a plea for empathy: “They should have intervened since yesterday, but they didn't because they didn’t care at all (...) They put their lives at risk without caring that someone could have died. Zero empathy or values.”

In a previous post, Caballero expressed his outrage over the initial refusal to intervene with the cat.

She stated that she was willing to stand in front of the Mascolive veterinary clinic alongside other animal activists, and she harshly criticized what she deemed a lack of professional ethics and sensitivity on the part of the staff.

"They have been overdue since yesterday. She is not going to die without being operated on," she wrote, visibly upset by the delay and the treatment received.

In September 2024, the case of a dog that died in Havana became known after a state veterinarian refused to treat her, despite the clinic still being open.

The complaint was posted by its owner on social media, who recounted that, after being refused at the state institution, she attempted to take the animal to a private clinic, but the pet died en route. This incident sparked a wave of outrage among users, who criticized the lack of sensitivity and professionalism of the staff involved.

Two months later, in November, an animal protection organization in Santiago de Cuba reported the actions of a man who was posing as a veterinarian using the name of a legally established collective and a recognized clinic.

The individual was deceiving pet owners by offering home visits, despite not being accredited. In light of this situation, the affected organization advised the public to always verify the identities of veterinary staff, highlighting the risks of trusting individuals without credentials in a context of increasing demand and limited availability of reliable veterinary services in Cuba.

Frequently asked questions about animal rescue in Cuba and the situation of animal rights