The economic and energy crisis affecting Cuba is also impacting animals and those who are trying to rescue them. Shelters and protectors are facing difficulties in obtaining food, medicine, and water, while prolonged blackouts complicate even the preservation of vaccines and other veterinary products.
A report published by Reuters highlighted Aldameros, a stray cat rescue center in Havana that currently has very little water, receives only a few hours of electricity a day, and faces increasing costs due to inflation.
Gabriela Lopez, the center's director, explained that the power outages have completely changed the way they feed the animals.
Before, they could store food for several days, but now they have to work almost on a day-to-day basis because the blackouts make it impossible to keep it safely.
The water supply is another issue. In a space that needs to maintain constant hygiene conditions, interruptions hinder daily activities and add to a long list of shortages that, according to Lopez, end up becoming a much larger problem.
The lack of electricity also affects veterinary care. Daniel Hernandez, a veterinarian based in Havana, explained to Reuters that clinics are struggling to keep medications and vaccines that require refrigeration available.
The specialist noted that one of the biggest obstacles is ensuring a stable electricity supply that allows for maintaining the cold chain necessary for vaccines and other pharmaceuticals.
The energy crisis is compounded by the rising cost of food. According to Reuters, establishments that previously donated leftover fish and other products are now selling them, forcing shelters to allocate food resources that they could once use for other needs.
Also, donations linked to tourism have decreased. Claudia Diaz, volunteer coordinator of Cubans in Defense of Animals (CEDA), explained that the reduction in the number of foreign visitors has meant losing an important source of both supplies and funds.
These contributions funded pest control campaigns, rescues, vaccinations, and assistance for underprivileged individuals caring for animals.
Lopez assured that they continue to do everything possible to keep the center open, although he acknowledged that maintaining it under the current conditions is becoming increasingly difficult.
A problem that had already been growing
The situation now documented by Reuters has precedents. Associated Press (AP) reported in August 2025 the challenges faced by several animal shelters in Havana at a time when rising prices of food and medicine, the economic crisis, and emigration were contributing to the increase in abandoned dogs and cats.
AP noted then that, although the state provided vaccines, sterilizations, and some free veterinary consultations, it did not have the resources to offer shelter and food for stray animals.
In light of that situation, numerous citizens had even turned their own homes and small apartments into shelters.
The cost of keeping a pet was already prohibitive for many Cubans. A 20-kilogram bag of dog food cost around 80 dollars and could feed a single animal for about 45 days.
AP estimated the cost of annual vaccines at about 20 dollars and an additional 10 dollars for a veterinary consultation.
The Aldameros Project itself reflected the extent of neglect. A small group of volunteers had started by feeding 15 cats during the pandemic, and by 2025, they were caring for more than 150.
One of the people in charge explained to AP that, while at the beginning of the decade about three abandoned cats appeared each week, by 2025 they recorded up to 15 in a single day.
Blackouts, lack of cash, and costly operations
The difficulties faced by animal protectors have been recurring in recent months. In June, an animal rights activist from Mayabeque suffered burns while cooking with charcoal for her dogs during a blackout lasting more than 24 hours caused by a transformer explosion.
The boiling water from the liver he was preparing for the animals fell onto his left hand. Since he had no electricity or cold water available in the house, he had to turn to his neighbors for help.
Just four days later, another case demonstrated how the cash crisis also directly impacts shelters.
Mileydis Suárez, in charge of El Jardín de las Mascotas and responsible for over 60 animals, claimed that she was unable to purchase liver to feed them.
The protector went out with cash because the establishment where she was looking for food did not accept transfers, but when she tried to pay at a small business, they also refused to accept her 20-peso bills.
Faced with the impossibility of obtaining food, he ended up publicly requesting cash assistance to support the animals in his care.
The problems have even affected the channels used to receive donations. In December 2025, BAC-Habana reported the blocking of its bank account.
According to the organization, the explanation provided by the branch was that the account had recorded "many transactions."
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