“Even the Dog Leaves”: Entire Families Are Leaving Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – Moved by affection for the pets they left behind, thousands of Cuban families embark on that mission year after year. Getting a beloved animal out of Cuba can become an obstacle course as difficult—or even more difficult—than the one humans face when emigrating.
Nelida Trujillo Blanco, administrator of the Facebook group Trámites migratorios de mascotas de Cuba a España (Pet Migration Procedures from Cuba to Spain), has learned this firsthand, dealing with ever-changing regulations that can upend months of expenses and preparation. For that reason, she often reposts her own guide in that space for families hoping to reunite with their furry family members.
There are eight steps, beginning with the first dose of the rabies vaccine and continuing with the shipment of samples to a certified laboratory (for Spain, that means the one in the city of Valencia), the certification of the animal’s “protected” status, and a thick dossier of endorsements issued by veterinarians authorized by Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture. If the process runs smoothly, it can be completed in four months; if any step goes wrong, the only option is to start over from scratch.
The Havana government rarely provides information on the number of pets that leave the island to reunite with their owners. However, in 2023, in an unusual statement on the matter, the Animal Health Center acknowledged that during the first ten months of that year, about 2,000 animals had traveled abroad, mainly to Spain, the United States, and Mexico. Some owners reportedly paid up to $3,000 to take them.
“Before, emigration wasn’t so massive. For example, among several siblings, there was always at least one who stayed behind to care for the elderly and the family home—and also for the pets. Now, it’s not unusual for everyone to leave, the family houses to be sold, and the animals to end up with strangers or even be left on the street. Sadly, abandonment cases have become more common in recent years,” explained animal protector Yanet Ramírez, who lives in Camagüey.
The situation has reached a point that exceeds the economic and human capacities of animal welfare groups—and of many families as well.
“The most basic thing, food, has become a challenge even for people themselves. Imagine, then, how complicated it is for our shelters. And families don’t have it any easier. I know a specific case of a young couple planning to emigrate who’ve spent months trying to find a new home for their Siberian husky. Several friends they’ve asked to take him in have refused, saying he’s a ‘too expensive dog’ because of the food and medicines he needs. On the other hand, others who’ve shown interest only wanted him as a ‘business,’” said Yanet.
An Opportunity for the “Coyotes”
Overwhelmed by the complex bureaucracy required to take their pets out of Cuba, many families turn to transfer agencies and independent transporters.
Companies such as Pet Cuba Travel and Traslados Pet Cadena Miranda, based in the United States, are among the top choices for those wishing to bring their pets to that country, home to the largest Cuban diaspora. Their services range from collecting and transporting blood samples for rabies testing to managing permits and selling microchips and transportines (airline-approved cages). The problem is their prices, which often exceed $2,000 per animal.
That amount is too high for many migrants, so quite a few opt to hire independent transporters—a decision that can become a game of Russian roulette.
In 2024, the story of Balto made headlines: a dog abandoned at a Mexican airport by the person who had been paid to take him from Cuba to the United States. The animal met a tragic end: in a not-so-clear decision, Mexican immigration authorities ordered him euthanized “because he refused to eat.” The case gained public attention when Balto’s owner denounced it on social media from the US, blaming Mexican officials and the Cuban American who had abandoned his dog. The latter refused to explain or return the money.
The US government includes Cuba on its list of “countries at high risk for canine rabies transmission,” a label also applied to most Latin American nations. Among the few exceptions is Mexico, which means that controls for dogs entering the US from there are more relaxed—a loophole that pet “coyotes” (traffickers) have exploited for years.
Their strategy is simple: the dog travels from Cuba to Mexico, and once there, a Mexican citizen takes it to the United States, declaring it as their own. In the process, the animal “loses” its Cuban origin and therefore avoids the strict health protocol it would otherwise face if arriving directly from the island.
The tighter border controls ordered under the Trump administration have not completely shut down this fraudulent system—especially since thousands of Cuban American families remain willing to pay whatever it takes to have their pets by their side again.
And with a migratory wave showing no signs of stopping in the near future, more and more Cubans settled abroad will face the same dilemma. For now, groups like Nelida Trujillo’s continue to grow, and the lines and reselling of appointments persist at the few veterinary clinics in Cuba authorized to administer vaccines and collect the samples required for the migration process. Like their human owners, for many Cuban pets the only foreseeable destination seems to be leaving.