Pictures at an Exhibition

Pictures at an Exhibition

As a way to thank TAP for its support of Cuban animals, as few years ago Nora Garcia, President of Aniplant, gave Charlene and me a pair of large posters showing many pictures of Cuban street dogs. These dogs weren't show dogs by any means; they were photographed as they were found on the streets of Havana, and you can see their sad condition in the spots of mange, the patches of scratched off fur from fleas and ticks, and the ribs defined by a lack of fat showing the scant food they live on. But they also show a strange beauty—a dignified look that seems to say, "I may be down, but I'm not out." The posters are among our prized possessions.

That dignity and beauty intrigued a famous Cuban photographer, José Rolando Molina, and he went through Havana's streets documenting a national shame—the neglect of man's best friends. With a truly original collection of moving portraits, José collaborated with Nora to get the pictures into the public eye. I first saw them at the dedication of Aniplant's new headquarters. Aniplant members and the public milled through the beautifully restored and renovated 200 year old building, and the public areas were fittingly decorated by framed color photos of Molina's street dogs—the ultimate beneficiaries of Aniplant's massive spay-neuter programs.

Nora and José didn't stop there. Because one Aniplant mission is humane education, they organized a public demonstration outside one of Havana's theaters to show the public what the organization does. This time, the street dogs photos hung over the shoulders of Aniplant members, sandwich board style. There were no written messages, no logos, no phone numbers—only the poignant photos of the homeless dogs. If a spectator was so moved, he could ask and be told of Aniplant and its animal protection mission.

When José matted and framed his portraits of the street dogs, he decided not to sign them as a photographer usually would do. He wanted nothing in his work to detract in the slightest from his subjects, the noble street dogs. So, if you're in Aniplant's headquarters admiring the art, you have to ask to find out what fine artist found such beauty in homeless street animals.

But José hardly needs more recognition. He is Artistic Director for a Cuban magazine on the sea and fishing in addition to being a painter and photographer. Adding his talent to Aniplant's 25 years of experience in animal protection has created a synergy that can only help those little canine and feline citizens of Havana's streets who live in our midst without homes or human companions.

On a recent trip to Cuba, Nora arranged for me to meet José. I was introduced to a nice looking young man we found on Obispo Street, Havana's street of fine tourist shops. José invited us into a little coffee bar and treated us to a cafecito, Cuba's ritual drink of hospitality. As we sipped the strong black coffee, I could see the same special spark I see in the eyes of so many lovers of animals.

Hardly surprising, I guess.

Les Inglis