Javier Larrea, founder of the Animal Welfare Cuba (BAC) group, publicly denounced an extreme case of animal cruelty that occurred on Sunday, September 13, in the Vista Alegre neighborhood of Holguín: a dog was beaten to death by two men identified in the citizen report, while neighbors attempted in vain to stop the assault.
According to the report captured in a video from Facebook, the animal —a medium-sized dog with yellow and white fur and a rope around its neck— was scared and sought refuge between two houses on González Claver Street.
The report points to two men. The first, named Alejandro Batista, allegedly began to hit the dog after it entered the entrance of a home. Following this, another individual identified as Noel Santana is said to have continued the assault.
"The dog ended up dead," Larrea stated in the video, in which he described the case as one of the most difficult to come to terms with in his history of advocacy.
What makes the situation even worse is that several neighbors tried to intervene to stop the violence and even offered to cover the animal's veterinary care.
"Several neighbors tried in every way to stop what was happening and look for solutions. They offered to take the dog to a veterinarian and even to cover the costs. There was an alternative to save it, but it was rejected at all times; they did not want to do it," Larrea stated.
As a subsequent justification, the alleged attackers claimed that the dog was rabid. BAC categorically rejected that argument.
"A suspicion of rabies requires veterinary intervention and the corresponding health protocols from the Ministry of Public Health. It cannot automatically become a justification for beating an animal with that level of violence," the activist stated.
BAC has called on witnesses, neighbors, and anyone with evidence —videos, photographs, audio recordings, or images from security cameras— to send them to the organization to document the case.
"We can no longer bring that dog back to life, but we can prevent its death from becoming just another story that everyone will forget tomorrow," he concluded.
The case occurs in a province with a troubling history. According to Larrea, Holguín ranks second among Cuban provinces with the highest number of animal abuse cases reported by BAC. In May, the organization reported a carriage driver recorded whipping a fallen horse in the middle of the street for over an hour.
Nationally, just two weeks earlier, BAC had reported another brutal case in Pinar del Río, where a young man was recorded bringing a cat close to dogs so they would attack it.
Cuba approved Decree-Law No. 31 on Animal Welfare in 2021, which establishes obligations for rest, feeding, and load limitations for working animals, but animal welfare organizations report that its implementation is virtually nonexistent.
The Cuban legal framework does not classify animal abuse as a criminal offense. The aforementioned regulation only provides for fines of up to 4,000 pesos for individuals, an amount that activists consider very low. A documented case in Mayarí, Holguín, in May 2025, resulted in a fine of just 1,500 pesos for killing a cat.
In April 2025, animal protectors demanded that Decree Law 31 be enforced more strictly in light of the recurring episodes of abuse.
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