A retired Salvadoran soccer player now working as a dentist was arrested Wednesday after a neighbor filmed him dangling his pet pug from a fifth-floor balcony in San Salvador.
Héctor Rosales, 64, faces two to four years in prison on animal abuse charges stemming from the incident at his condominium in the capital’s downtown district. The footage captured by a nearby resident shows Rosales holding the small dog by its right hind leg outside the railing, the animal audibly crying as it hung suspended over the street below.
“Why is he doing that,” the male neighbor recording the scene is heard saying. “And he was recording. How weird.”
The neighbor’s video shows Rosales appearing to take a photograph of the distressed pug before pulling it back over the rail and into the apartment. The footage circulated rapidly online, drawing widespread condemnation from animal welfare advocates.
San Salvador Mayor Mario Durán addressed the incident in an X post, confirming his office received alerts shortly after the filming. Municipal staff accompanied a National Civil Police unit to Rosales’ residence, where officers rescued two dogs from the premises.
“It is now safe and will receive the care it needs,” Durán wrote. “Thank you for reporting this. We will not tolerate animal abuse in San Salvador Centro.”
The mayor’s intervention marked a swift official response to what has become a flashpoint case for animal protection in the Central American nation.
Rosales played professionally for C.D. Águila in El Salvador’s Primera División during the 1990s before transitioning to a dental career. His arrest has drawn particular attention given his former public profile as an athlete.
Social media users responding to the case demanded permanent separation between Rosales and any animals.
“They should never let him have any kind of animal,” one X user wrote. “He doesn’t deserve the affection of any pet!”
Another commenter expressed personal distress at the footage while contrasting Rosales’ conduct with their own approach to pet care.
“I felt so sorry for that little dog. I have two of my own …” the user wrote. “My Cris and Maiker might not have any luxuries, but they know that here, they will have an abundance of love and respect.”
The rescued dogs’ current placement was not detailed in official statements, though Durán indicated they would receive proper care. The case now proceeds through El Salvador’s criminal justice system, where conviction on animal abuse charges carries the two-to-four-year sentence range.
The incident has reignited discussion about enforcement of animal protection laws in El Salvador, where abuse cases often gain traction through citizen-captured video shared on social platforms. The neighbor’s decision to document and post the footage proved instrumental in prompting the rapid official action.
Rosales has not publicly commented on the allegations since his arrest.