A dog hit by a car in Miramar, Havana, was rescued by neighbors and received temporary care, but died from severe pelvic and hip injuries. The owners were located via a Facebook post, though the damage proved irreversible. The case highlights the absence of animal protection laws in Cuba.
A few days ago, Irina Pino was walking along 1st Street in Miramar, Havana, when she heard mournful howls. She found a female dog lying in a flowerbed under a tree, struck by a car whose driver fled without stopping. A couple watched the animal briefly before leaving, and Pino returned after telling her neighbor Felicia.
Together, they fetched a cardboard box and called a neighborhood veterinary student. They gave the dog water, which it drank desperately, and placed it in the box. The student's mother drove them to Felicia's apartment for temporary care. Before leaving, they asked nearby homes about possible owners; the dog appeared healthy with white teeth, not a stray.
Pino posted on Facebook seeking urgent financial help for taxi rides (around 6,000 pesos) and X-rays (over 10,000 pesos), as not all clinics provide orthopedic services and gasoline is scarce. The story spread via Verónica Vega from Havana Times. A foreigner offered money, and a woman from the US suggested VETPRO clinic in Víbora.
The dog worsened, whimpering softly; Felicia gave it Duralgin for pain, talked and petted it, though it wouldn't eat or urinate. On Monday, the owners contacted Pino through Facebook. They had adopted the street dog, named it Crazy for its mischief, and it escaped from their yard on 7th Avenue when a gardener left the gate open. They lived far from the accident site.
Felicia had visited a Vedado clinic to check costs, planning to use donations. Seeing the owners, she was relieved, having prayed for their arrival. The owners took Crazy in their own car. Pino canceled the Spanish donor's contribution.
Yet Crazy died the next day. It had a pelvic fissure and destroyed hip; surgery was impossible, and only treatment was prescribed. It seemed to improve but urinated blood and passed away. Pino and Felicia feel powerless, blaming the heartless driver and Cuba's lack of laws protecting voiceless animals, where citizens themselves lack essential rights.
