A Cuban veterinarian based in Nevada has taken social media by storm with a TikTok video about Manolito, a goat with motor disabilities living in her animal sanctuary, and her message about empathy towards animals garnered over 736,000 views in less than 48 hours.
Behind the video is Yaileny Selema, founder of the sanctuary Second Chance Farm in Pahrump, Nevada, located one hour from Las Vegas, where she has been rescuing and rehabilitating animals of various species for eight years.
Manolito, the protagonist of the clip released on Monday, is a goat that cannot move without assistance due to his physical condition. The sanctuary team lifts him, bathes him, and dries him daily to prevent irritations and ensure he has a dignified life.
“Here, we lift Manolito, bathe him, dry him off, and do everything we can to make his life as normal as possible so that he can have a dignified life despite his disability,” Selema explained in the video.
The central message of the clip directly addresses the prejudices about which animals deserve care and affection. "I think the problem begins when we allow species to determine how much compassion a living being deserves," the veterinarian noted.
"I believe that a dog is not worth more than a goat, nor is a goat worth less than a horse. They all feel pain, fear, tranquility, and well-being," he added.
The post generated 149,000 likes, 3,910 comments, and 12,200 shares, receiving a particularly strong response from the Cuban community abroad, identified by the tags #cubanosentiktok and #cubanosporelmundo.
Selema founded Second Chance Farm alongside her partner, who is also Cuban, as a completely self-funded project that does not generate profits for its creators.
The sanctuary currently houses more than 30 rescued animals, including horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, cows, dogs, cats, and turtles. Many of them remain there permanently due to their old age or chronic health conditions.
The project is sustained by the donations from those who follow Yaileny on social media, where she has built a loyal community over the years.
This is not the first video from the @yaisecondchance account to evoke a massive reaction, but it does represent the highest peak of visibility for the sanctuary to date, according to the data available at the time of publication.
"And if along the way that inspires someone to look with just a little more empathy, then all this effort will have been worth it, and as long as God allows me, I will continue to be here for them," concluded Selema in the video.
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