A shocking case of animal cruelty was reported in Pinar del Río, where a video shows a young man grabbing a cat and deliberately bringing it close to several dogs, which then attack the animal while the scene is being recorded.
The complaint was made this Sunday by Bienestar Animal Cuba (BAC), through Javier Larrea, who described the incident as “extremely serious” and questioned why the suffering of the animal was turned into content for social media.
The images initially show a young man holding the cat and bringing it closer to the dogs. Later, one of the animals grabs and shakes the feline, while in other sequences, two dogs are seen around the cat.
«What you are about to see is not a joke, it is not funny content, it is an animal being brutally attacked while someone chooses to film it and turn its suffering into entertainment for social media,» denounced Larrea.
According to what was explained, BAC received the video along with posts and messages in a mocking tone, including expressions like "if you fall for the trap" and "no more meow meow," as well as laughing emojis.
Violence against an animal turned into a spectacle cannot be normalized, ever," affirmed the activist, who deemed it particularly serious not only what happened to the cat but also that the images were used to provoke reactions and entertainment online.
Larrea stated that the information received by the organization places the events in the province of Pinar del Río and links the material to a person named Gerardo Milián Hernández.
However, BAC claimed it was necessary to clarify all the circumstances before establishing definitive responsibilities, including what happened to the cat, where it is, who recorded the scene, who originally published the material, and what other individuals may have been involved.
The activist also clarified that the organization does not promote physical aggression or lynching against the individuals involved in the video, but rather calls for an investigation and the enforcement of measures outlined in Cuban animal welfare legislation.
Unfortunately, this case –like others– calls into question the effectiveness of animal protection laws in Cuba.
In April 2025, animal welfare groups demanded that Decree-Law 31 on Animal Welfare be enforced more strictly in light of the repeated incidents of abuse, deeming the responses from the authorities inadequate.
That same month, a cat named Lulita died in Mayarí, Holguín, after neighbors allegedly threw her from a third floor, beat her, and set a dog against her.
The report was made by the animal's guardian, and Animal Welfare Cuba called for an investigation into the incident.
Concern had intensified weeks earlier after activists reported another serious incident of violence against a cat in Havana, an event that reignited calls for animal cruelty penalties to be truly deterrent.
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