It may never be known whether an Internet video of a Marine throwing a puppy into a ravine in Iraq was authentic, if the puppy was alive or dead, or if the video was altered, the Honolulu Advertiser reported Saturday.

The Marine Corps repeatedly cited the Privacy Act of 1974 in not releasing information about the video and Lance Cpl. David Motari, the paper reported.

It was reported Wednesday that Motari and Sgt. Crismarvin Encarnacion received nonjudicial punishments for their involvement. The video was circulated widely on YouTube and provoked a firestorm of outrage.

Motari is being kicked out of the Marine Corps. The Corps would not say whether he is receiving an honorable, general or other-than-honorable discharge, the Advertiser wrote. Encarnacion received unspecified nonjudicial punishment.

Motari’s family in Washington state disconnected their phone after the video became public and have said little about the case, the Advertiser noted.

The Humane Society of the United States on Friday praised the Marine Corps for taking disciplinary action against the two Marines

The agency also renewed a call for the inclusion of an animal cruelty prohibition in the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

"The bad actors in this case have been dealt with by the Marine Corps, which rightly recognizes that harming animals is unacceptable conduct," said Dale Bartlett, The Humane Society of the United States’ deputy manager for animal cruelty issues.

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