Animal Welfare Advocates Rescue Machete-Attacked Dog in Sancti Spíritus

Animal welfare advocates in Sancti Spíritus, who are used to seeing both acts of love and cruelty towards pets, were left shocked upon learning that a man had committed the heinous crime of attacking his dog with a machete and abandoning it to die. The ARCA Foundation Sancti Spíritus became aware of the incident on May 20 and immediately mobilized its members to save the life of this dog, despite the ongoing power outages.

“While everyone was sleeping, our foundation was suffering alongside the medical team that tirelessly fought to save Yeiko's life,” they stated on Facebook, denouncing the horrific crime. “The surgery ended at 1:30 am, after struggling to stabilize him as he arrived in shock and nearly unconscious,” they added.

Furthermore, they noted that the surgery concluded with more than 50 stitches because the dog arrived with head wounds, an exposed eye—which he eventually lost—and a fractured jaw. The next day, Yeiko was bathed, given prescribed medications, and managed to walk. Most importantly, his true owner appeared.

According to the foundation, she had been searching for her dog for months, which had passed from owner to owner until it fell victim to brutal abuse. “Despite the time away from his owner, Yeiko—whose name we learned at that moment—reacted incredibly,” they expressed, praising those who defend animals even under current scarcity conditions.

Through their Facebook page, the animal protection organization shared Yeiko's favorable progress, thrilling followers with details such as the moment he stood with assistance for the first time or when he urinated after his urgent surgery. However, last Friday, Yeiko underwent another surgical intervention due to infection in his wounds. “A drain was left in, and part of the healing will occur by secondary intention,” noted the protectors. “Many days of recovery still lie ahead for this warrior who clings to life with all his might.”

Nevertheless, the most awaited images by followers were finally shared: Yeiko in the home he should never have left, surrounded by people willing to erase his bad memories with love. “His wounds are healing, and so is his heart,” they noted.

This story, while demonstrating the existence of individuals with horrific sentiments, also highlights that there are others who possess great kindness. However, many animals are currently disappearing in Cuba, which is suffering from the worst economic crisis in decades, and are never found again.

Recently, an animal protector identified on social media as Miriela Ramos López warned that in some areas of Havana, cats have disappeared, insinuating that they might have been eaten. "I want to alert everyone, two days ago in Playa, near La Puntilla store, not a single cat is left, neither stray nor family-owned," she emphasized in the Facebook group “Sociedad Protectora de Animales en Cuba.”

On the other hand, animal protectors in Cuba have called on the public to place water containers so that dogs, cats, and birds can hydrate during the heatwave that is scorching the country and maintaining high temperatures. The organization Cubans in Defense of Animals (CEDA) warned on Facebook about the importance of keeping animals hydrated amid the high temperatures, noting that they need water now more than ever.