Alberto Utra Santos is proud of being a countryman, and a veterinarian, which caught his attention when he was a child and lived with his family, surrounded by animals.
How do you become a veterinarian and why?
- My dad was the head of a dairy farm, I saw the doctor injecting the animals, and I liked it; I studied at the Caney de las Mercedes, in the province of Granma. Then I went to a national veterinary school, in Havana, where I specialized in calves.
When he went to Caney de las Mercedes to study Veterinary Medicine, he had not turned 17 years old. And he arrived at that place, surrounded by hills, and felt alone, very alone.
- Well – he laughs. I had never left my house, and when I found myself there alone, without knowing anyone, that was great. It was a hill everywhere. Later, some boys from the neighborhood arrived and life began to be better. It was the whole year there; my parents had to go to see me. But it was cute.
This is a man who loves all animals. But he always loved calves, and when he had the opportunity he did not hesitate to specialize in caring for animals in their first stages of life.
What is the most beautiful thing about working with offspring?
- Look, when you work with calves, and you have a sick one, at first you always think that it is going to die, but when you treat it and see that improves, you feel satisfied because it is the fruit of your work; and I like the sequence of treatments. I am happy when I save a little animal.
And when someone dies?
- Sometimes one of them dies because we are using traditional medicine a lot and sometimes the disease requires medicines that are not here, and it is hard wants to save an animal and not be able to.
You are one of those who become fond of calves…
- I love seeing them, I always check everyone in the morning, to see if they walk well or badly, or have any symptoms.
Veterinary is difficult in any country, but in Cuba, it is more so due to the lack of medicines, the conditions that prevail due to the lack of resources because of the U.S. blockade, but the man in this story sees things differently and every day wakes up with the desire of the first time.
- Nothing is easy, everything involves difficulties, but I like Veterinary Medicine so much that I make the difficult things easy.
What time do you get up?
- At 5:00, every day. Already at 10 minutes to six, I am saddling the horse to go to the dairy farms.
How many dairy farms and animals are you in charge of?
- Four, three dairies, and a development center. Animals, more or less, 200 per dairy.
And don't you think there are too many for you alone?
- No. I get up early and the time doesn't matter; if it's in the morning, the afternoon, whatever time it is.
If Alberto has achieved everything in life, he owes it to his efforts, but also his family; he believes that the secret lies in unity.
What satisfy you most about your beautiful family?
- Our union. Notice that I have a grandson of my wife's son, who is also mine, and when he was a child, he used to say that I gave birth to him and was always by my side; today, he is a 19 years-old sports teacher, and until not so long ago, my woman slept in another bed and he with me.
Alberto Utra Santos is completely happy. He says so and puts on his hat because he is already leaving; his cattle are waiting for him. He mounts the horse and bids him farewell, but not before checking his pockets for the medicine bottle he brings. He goes steadily in search of the health of his animals, which gives him one of the greatest satisfactions of his daily struggle.
