These details are horrific. Two football players at the University at Buffalo were caught on camera brutally attacking a miniature poodle.
According to a press release from Erie County, New York district attorney John Flynn, 19-year-old Blake Hiligh and 20-year-old Zachary Pilarcek allegedly beat a 4-year-old pup named Kobe with a leather belt inside an Amherst apartment at around 9 p.m. on June 13. What the f**k!!! This poor dog. A video of the disturbing incident was taken and shared on Snapchat that same day.
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According to People, Pilarcek allegedly could be heard in the video “speaking off-camera about damage a dog did to a couch in a Sweet Home Road apartment he shares with the dog’s owner, Hiligh, a native of Maryland, and claims he will film the punishment the dog will receive.” The outlet added:
“Hiligh, the dog’s owner, is then filmed yelling at the dog … and proceeds to beat him with what appears to be a leather belt.”
At one point, the animal – which reportedly belonged to Hiligh – could be seen running away before the athlete grabs him and starts hitting him again. So, so awful. And hours after the incident, police received an anonymous report. Officials from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals then took the dog the following day. Kobe was taken to the SPCA Serving Erie County’s veterinary team, where they treated him for bruises and abrasions. He currently remains under their care.
As for Pilarcek and Hiligh? They were immediately dismissed from the University at Buffalo football team and charged for the incident. The University at Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist addressed the situation, saying the program has “zero tolerance” for animal cruelty:
“After learning about this incident, I immediately suspended the two young men from all team activities before permanently dismissing them from the program earlier this month. At UB, not only do we expect our student-athletes to excel on the field and in the classroom, but we also expect them to be outstanding citizens in our community.”
The college students now potentially face jail time. Pilarcek and Hiligh were arraigned on Thursday morning and charged with one count of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, and failure to provide proper sustenance. They pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the D.A. says they face the maximum penalty of one year behind bars. You can hear more details about the case (below) — but warning, there is a graphic video of the attack included:
[Image via WKBW TV/YouTube]
