Video shows fratboys forcing puppy to drink beer at backyard party by putting a dispenser in its mouth
Fraternity members at a backyard party were seen picking up a dog and putting a beer dispenser in its mouth in a short video posted online appearing to, thereby spurring a criminal investigation into the incident.
The video, which allegedly shows students from New York’s Hofstra University, was described as "disturbing, cruel, and unacceptable" by investigators with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, KWCH reports.
"That dog had no choice. It didn't say, ‘Hey, I want a beer, and I want it poured down my throat.’ So, it's wrong. On every level, it's wrong and just irrational thinking,” said Gary Rogers with Nassau County SPCA.
According to detectives, the owner of the 10-month-old King Charles cavalier spaniel can be seen in the video. While authorities have not revealed his identity, they said he's a 21-year-old senior at the university and a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.
That said, an officer who went to conduct a welfare check on the dog at the fraternity house said it was healthy, clean, and living in a good environment with plenty of food and water.
However, the dog was reportedly signed over to SPCA on Monday and no longer lives at the frat house.
While the investigation is underway, Hofstra University has suspended the fraternity chapter for the time being. According to the fraternity's spokesman, they hope to use the incident as a "teaching moment" for its members and have ordered all activities to "cease and desist" until they are cleared by authorities.
The spaniel was taken to a veterinarian for bloodwork and other physical exams, the results of which are awaited. The SPCA and the district attorney will make a decision on whether criminal charges are to be filed against the perpetrators once all the evidence is gathered.