The University of Buffalo has released two football players following charges stemming from accusations of having beaten a dog with a belt.
Student-athletes Zachary Pilarcek and Blach Hiligh have been charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance, and are facing a maximum sentence of one year in prison if found guilty.
They were initially suspended from team activities but have since been dismissed altogether.
“The UB football program has zero tolerance for this type of behavior,” head coach Maurice Linguist told Buffalo News.
The incident is alleged to have taken place on June 13 and, according to a press release from prosecutors, the two players beat a four-year-old miniature poodle named Kobe in an apartment, causing abrasions and bruises.
The charges came on the back of an investigation by the SPCA of Erie County.
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While footage of the dog’s injuries has been obtained by Spectrum News 1, the station said it is too graphic to share. According to Buffalo News, the video shows one of the accused holding the dog down and attacking it while the other recorded.
Kobe was seized from the residence and treated by vets. The animal is still under care and treatment at an undisclosed location.
