The organization Bienestar Animal Cuba (BAC) publicly denounced that the puppy used in the filming of a music video by two young individuals from the municipality of Cotorro, Havana, died as a result of the abuse it suffered during the shoot.
In an official statement posted on Facebook, BAC stated that the video had several recordings because "the shots didn't come out well," and that in each of them "they mistreated the puppy, shaking it and tossing it from side to side until it was exhausted."
"The puppy that was used in the music video HAS DIED. Yes, it has died. This is the reality they are trying to cover up," the organization stated in its announcement, adding that this is the reason there are no recent photos or videos of the animal: "because they killed it."
The identified individuals are Kilogua La Prosperidad (Instagram: @kilogua_la_prosperidad), belonging to the group "Los Presentados," and Yosvany Borrero Pérez (Instagram: @mango_habana_oficial_), from the group "Los Negritos Del Maleanteo," both residing in Cotorro.
BAC also reported that those involved attempted to cover up the events. Initially, they claimed that a girl had the puppy, and later that it was the mother of one of the young men, accounts that the organization labeled as lies.
According to the statement, those responsible are now looking for the mother dog of the puppy— a stray from the neighborhood— to find a similar animal and "silence the criticism."
In response to public pressure, Kilogua La Prosperidad released an apology video in which they denied having thrown the puppy in the trash and claimed that the animal was "in very good hands," promising to showcase it in a later video.
Yosvany Borrero Pérez also responded, but in an aggressive tone, as he offered superficial apologies to those upset about the treatment of the animal, while dismissing the other criticisms with vulgar language and comparing the outrage over the puppy to the lack of solidarity towards Cubans who have been attacked in Mexico.
BAC categorically rejected both apologies: "They wrote asking for forgiveness and expressing that they are very sorry. Sorry, but we will not accept it."
The organization also succeeded in getting Meta to remove the video from Facebook after several hours of negotiation. "They were reluctant to take down the video because they 'did not see any abuse.' We insisted, convinced them, and ultimately they removed it. Additionally, they imposed an extra restriction on the accounts of these individuals," BAC reported.
This case is set within a context of legal limitations to protect animals in Cuba: Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 only provides for administrative sanctions with fines ranging from 500 to 3,500 pesos, without classifying animal abuse as an independent criminal offense.
Activists have documented that in cases of animal deaths due to abuse, the penalties imposed have been fines of up to 3,000 pesos, an amount that the animal rights community considers insufficient to deter cruelty.
BAC, one of the most active animal rights organizations in the country, has a recent history of high-profile reports, including the rescue of dogs linked to singer-songwriter Raúl Torres last May and the report of threats received for exposing animal abuse in October 2025.
"We still know nothing about the puppy. Its whereabouts have not been made public. We will go all the way until we find out where it is and have it returned to us. We will not stop," concluded BAC in its latest statement.
Filed under: