MINAG announces lines of work to implement the Animal Welfare Decree-Law

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 4 (ACN) Following the approval of the Animal Welfare Decree-Law, the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG) has defined specific steps to enforce the said legislation.

Minister Gustavo Rodríguez Rollero pointed out that a provisional ad hoc working group will look at current practices deemed noncompliant with our Animal Health policy and make improvements, for instance, in veterinary clinics, in addition to opening new ones in the 54 municipalities of the country still lacking this service.

One of the first measures is to strengthen the role of the National Association of Animals and Plants and extend its scope nationwide. To this end, he stressed, vocational training is key, so MINAG will join forces with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, as well as with the Ministry of Public Health in the case of animal shelters.

The Minister added that we need solutions without losing sight of our economic situation, but called on everyone to work hard and seriously as befits a country that cares about animal welfare.

The new regulation applies to all animals, be they used in production or in laboratories or companion pets, and comply with international standards adapted to our circumstances.

On February 26 Cuba approved the Decree-Law on Animal Welfare, the result of years of work carried out by concerned officials, animal lovers and organizations. Although animal welfare was mentioned in previous regulations and legal documents, this is the first text specifically dedicated to the subject.