A resident of Güines is reported for animal abuse

A man identified as Juan Carlos, a resident of Güines, a municipality in the province of Mayabeque, was publicly reported through a video on Facebook for dragging two small dogs almost to the point of hanging them in a public park in that area.

The video was published by animal rights activist Alberto Luiz Cruz, who witnessed the incident alongside a friend while walking through the park. The footage shows two mixed-breed dogs with black, brown, and white fur being dragged by a man in the public street.

"Juan Carlos from the neighborhood is mentally unstable; it's supposedly not the first time he has taken animals to kill them. A friend and I were passing through the park when we saw him hanging them. We are on our way to the police to report him because action needs to be taken; it's not the first time, and we will not allow this," Cruz wrote.

In the video, the man claims that he had paid 200 pesos for the dogs, and the witnesses suggested refunding him the money in exchange for handing over the animals.

In response to his refusal, the activists threatened to go to the police, but several people joined their demands and managed to take the dogs away from the alleged owner.

This case adds to a series of incidents of animal abuse that have been publicly reported in Cuba in recent years.

Recently, a soldier was reported for brutally attacking a dog in Regla, while in another case a coach in the municipality of Playa was accused of kicking a German shepherd.

Cuba has the Animal Welfare Decree-Law No. 31/2021, published in the Official Gazette, which establishes penalties for those who mistreat animals. However, its enforcement has been questioned by activists, especially after the government acknowledged an increase in reports of animal cruelty in the country.

In the absence of effective institutional responses, organizations such as Bienestar Animal Cuba (BAC) have intensified their advocacy efforts, to the extent that BAC has escalated cases to international bodies to raise awareness of the situation of animals on the island.