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A horse collapsed this Monday on the highway near Bernardo Arias street, in the city of Sancti Spíritus, in yet another episode of animal overexploitation that local activists reported on social media, urgently calling for help.
The case came to the attention of the ARCA Sancti Spíritus Foundation when a follower requested assistance via WhatsApp.
The volunteers, who were simultaneously attending to other active cases in clinics at that moment, were unable to go to the location and chose to provide instructions remotely with the support of a veterinarian specializing in large species.
However, the animal's owner did not follow the instructions.
"The fact is that a follower reached out for help via WhatsApp. We provided several instructions based on the guidance of a large species veterinarian, but the owner is not following these instructions," explained the animal rights activists.
The people present at the location made decisions on their own: they administered medication to the horse and took blood from it without professional supervision.
The situation worsened when the animal tried to get up. "In its attempt to stand, the horse hit its head and even broke its mouth; in short, they don’t follow the instructions," they described.
No veterinarian could reach the site to make a formal diagnosis.
Animal advocates point to heatstroke as the most likely cause: "The most logical explanation is to consider heatstroke, as temperatures are very high and they are made to work in the sun and with heavy loads."
The organization issued a desperate plea: "If any veterinarian is reading this and can make it there, it would be a great help; otherwise, the horse is going to die."
The activists expressed their frustration at the impossibility of intervening directly.
"How sad it is to see that you have to stand by with your arms crossed because in the end, the horse belongs to its owner and the State," they stated, announcing that they would notify the Agriculture delegation about the case.
Sancti Spíritus has a concerning history of animal abuse. In September 2024, animal activists in the province fought for the life of a horse injured by machete blows, and just two days later they celebrated its recovery.
On June 29, 2025, falls of horses on Céspedes Street once again highlighted the lack of animal protection in the province.
In March 2022, an activist reported a man who hit a horse with a whip at least 13 times in the same city.
That same year, in Mayabeque, a draft horse collapsed and its owner whipped it in front of witnesses.
Despite the fact that Cuba has the Animal Welfare Decree-Law No. 31/2021, activists and organizations criticize its ineffectiveness: the penalties are exclusively administrative, with fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 CUP for individuals, which are insufficient to stop systemic abuse.
"What I want to clarify is that I don't know if they have communicated with the Agriculture delegation, but we are going to do it, and I sincerely hope that the little animal improves; we have done everything within our reach," concluded the animal rights activists.
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