Nora and Friends

Rehoming

It always surprises me how much interest there is among tourists visiting Cuba in helping out the stray animals they encounter.  Many are eager to adopt a dog they've seen and ship him home, wherever that may be.

We try to be careful in enabling these projects as the adopter needs to be realistic about how long it can take and how much it might cost.  Even faced with the costs, many still want to adopt a Cuban dog and ship him home.

A couple of years back we learned of the rigorous requirements the UE imposes on importing dogs.  They are so tough, it is nearly impossible to accomplish rehoming in the UE.  I was corresponding with Nora Garcia, Aniplant's President, when I received her comments on rehoming, and I felt they were worth sharing with you.  As you'll see, not all of these projects end up with a dog as well adapted as Pablo is. (Pablo is the rehomed dog pictured below romping on the beach at Malibu.)  Nora's words show the loving spirit that prompts Aniplant's work for the animals of Cuba.  Nora wrote:

We have sent 2 animals to Germany—a dog and a cat, and I have photos of thanks from those persons.  Also we've sent to Canada and several to the US.  (The US count is 14 counting Pablo and Christian,)  Two dogs, brothers, went to Spain.  The UE regulations are tough but achievable when there is true interest on the other side and they really want the animal.  One American official shipped 8 dogs at one time—a really memorable event.

I believe I told you of two young people visiting in Trinidad, Cuba who found and picked up a little dog with malformed feet, saved him, and wanted to take him with them..They had true interest because when they got to the tourist bus to return, the driver wouldn't let them board the bus with the dog.  So they rented a car and arrived here in Havana with him.

They asked us for shelter, and I got the husband of an Aniplant employee to promise to care for him.  We supplied his food and we paid 90 CUC (about $90) for three months fostering, grooming, vaccinating, and a blood test.  When the paid time was used up and the dog was healthy and we were ready to send the blood sample, the young men wrote us and said that they had no money to pay for all that was needed.  I needed to tell the foster parent what had happened.  I thought he would keep the dog out of love for him.  When I told him, he told me definitely if we didn't have the money, we couldn't have the dog.

We were faced with the impossibility of placing an adult dog with twisted feet whom we all adored.  I offered the foster parent half of what was owed, and he accepted, and ever since then we've paid 360 pesos in his expenses and supplied his food.  These are the risks of taking a dog for eventual shipping.  The only pay we get is to know the dog is happy.  In this case, the foster parents don't mistreat him, and he is very loving to them.  They care well for him.  The foster parent is on a fixed salary, and what we pay for the dog's care is a big help to them.

We have setbacks, but we keep going forward, after 27 years, in this business, Aniplant has a long history with many stories to tell.

Nora