Animal rights activists accuse the Cuban state of causing increased abandonment with its new fees for rescuing animals

Activists and organizations for animal protection in Cuba reported that the recent measures taken by the State to significantly increase the costs of legal pet exit procedures are leading to more animal abandonment, amid an already critical crisis.

In a post shared on Facebook, the Animal Welfare Group of Cuba (BAC) alerted that the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Center for Animal Health (CENASA) have increased without prior notice and without social consultation the costs associated with the legalization of animals that accompany their owners when emigrating.

According to animal rights activists, prices have increased by up to tenfold. Procedures that previously cost around 100 Cuban pesos now amount to 1,000 pesos just for the initial legalizations.

The documentation required to legalize the export of samples amounts to 10,000 pesos, while the animal export authorization and flight permit add another 10,000 pesos. Additionally, there is a mandatory payment at the airport to the veterinarian who authorizes the final departure, again totaling 10,000 pesos.

They also warn that the new prices for essential services such as vaccinations and other procedures at state veterinary clinics have yet to be determined, and their costs will also increase, making the process an unaffordable financial burden for most Cuban families.

Predictable consequences

For animal advocates, the impact of these decisions is clear: more abandonment, overcrowded shelters, and overwhelmed organizations, with the state failing to announce parallel animal protection policies.

"Massive sterilization campaigns are not implemented, there are no stable vaccination programs, state shelters are not created, nor are existing protection networks strengthened," BAC denounces. They also add that no real alternatives are offered for those who wish to comply with the law but cannot afford the new costs.

Activists emphasize that these measures do not punish irresponsibility, but rather directly affect those who care for and do not want to abandon their pets, putting them in what they describe as an unfair choice: pay unaffordable amounts or leave behind a family member.

From the Animal Welfare of Cuba, they assured that they will continue to publicly denounce the consequences of these decisions and support those affected. "Protecting animals cannot rest solely on individual effort. It is also a political and social responsibility," the statement concludes.