A Better Answer

A Better Answer

If you're a Canadian, you don't have any tropical vacation spots in your own country--you have to plan international travel to sit on a beach under a palm tree and enjoy the sound of the waves and the feel of the breeze. So you get on a plane, and if you don't want to go further than necessary, you land in Cuba, The Pearl of the Antilles, and the former crown jewel in the Spanish Empire. And the beaches are spectacular, the weather perfect, and the people are friendly. No wonder so many Canadians make the trip. There are no travel restrictions to fight as we have to do here in the US.

Most Canadians love their vacations in Cuba, and few have anything negative to say about their holidays there. One exception we hear is that many deplore the large number of street dogs and strays they see in Cuba. Like other third world places, animals don't get much humane treatment there. But a number of Canadians with kind hearts want to do something about the strays. Often they take pity on the stray and try to arrange its adoption and move back to Canada when they get back home.

Too often we get calls about a dog or a puppy near a resort that is accepting handout food from the tourists and seems to beg to be adopted and taken far away to a new home.

It's hard to counsel people who've allowed some hungry little dog to steal their heart, and who've searched the Internet for someone to help save the unfortunate little animal. But we feel obligated to educate these good-hearted people in the realities of saving the street dogs of Cuba. To arrange a successful adoption and transport takes much more time and money than you might think.

First there's the problem of finding the animal, and then you have to verify that it doesn't have an owner. If this takes place in many parts of Cuba, that might mean a long round trip from Havana for a vet or a volunteer. It could take two trips to find the right dog and bring it to Havana.

Then there's arranging a foster home for at least two weeks, vet exams, deparisitazions, more vet tests, waiting for test results, and arranging air transportation back to Canada. Most of these projects cost more than $500 in expenses before the dog is put on a plane (and this number does not include air transportation charges).

Yes, it might be nice to bring that little lovable animal into your home and to be able to tell your friends of the sad plight he or she faced when found. But for all that time and expense, how much more have you done to reduce animal suffering than if you had visited your local animal shelter and picked out a healthy, life-long friend from a huge range of breeds, sizes, shapes and colors?

No, as much as we all want to help save a hungry street dog from his stark, unhappy street life, we have to realize that isn't always the best answer. We need to stay focused on our main activity, conducting massive spay-neuter campaigns. That, at least, helps street animals by drastically reducing their numbers.

When we discourage these kind souls who want to help, it isn't for lack of compassion--we've got it in spades--it's because we have a better answer. We don't want to seem callous, but we have to focus our energies where we can do the most good for Cuba's animals.

Les Inglis