Dog Show in the Pearl of the Antilles

Dog Show in the Pearl of the Antilles

Animal protectionists seldom take much interest in dog shows. First of all, the owners of show dogs generally keep them in pretty good shape, and secondly there are always demands on protectionists to help less fortunate dogs—often to help with dogs in dire straits. Still, I admit to watching the Westminster Show in New York once a year. I frankly didn’t imagine they had dog shows in Cuba, but they certainly do. Nora and I and Xenia and Bob, my fellow travelers, had been invited to such a show by Nora’s overseer in the ministry of Agriculture, so one Friday morning we found ourselves driving west of Havana toward the suburb of Playa and a dog show being held there.

To get to Playa you drive along 5th Avenue through the fancy suburb of Miramar. In Miramar the houses are palatial, and most of the embassies and the homes of foreign businessmen are located here. I remember particularly the little kiosks with armed guards which stand at the corners of the fenced yards of the various embassies. People who live in these mansions can well afford show dogs if they wish. The dog show was in a futbol (soccer) field, and we were shown to comfortable seats in a tent n the middle of the field. The field was parceled off into little show rings, each for one of the many breeds. Next to us on one side were the Huskies, and on the other side the Cocker Spaniels were strutting their stuff. I figured it was a good time to take some pictures and wandered off among the rings.

This isn’t the real Cuba you see in most places. It looks more like a weekend activity in any affluent suburb in the US. One difference I note is that the participants showing their dogs are nearly all quite well dressed. After much wandering and picture taking I realized the show had an international flavor. Many dogs had come there from other countries in Latin America, and a few were there from Europe. This is another reminder that it’s only here in the US that we think of Cuba as a mysterious forbidden island. Practically all the other countries of the world think of Cuba as a great place to visit.

After a pleasant morning watching the show dogs, we prepare for our ride back to town to an invited luncheon at the Ornithological Society. A mix-up with drivers made us an hour late, but in Cuba everyone is on Tropical Standard Time (which means, “whenever”). That day we had a great lunch in a land where you cannot always be sure of getting a good meal.

I think dog shows are good if they stimulate an interest in having a dog in your family and loving it. If those shows are a means of showing off your property and if the dogs are not kept in a loving home situation, their treatment is a source of irritation to protectionists and to the dogs themselves.

Les Inglis