Video Shows Dog Forced To Drink Beer At Fraternity Party
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/CBS Local) -- A Long Island fraternity has been suspended after a video from this weekend spread across the internet.
Investigators say the alleged bad behavior involved a keg and a dog at an off-campus party.
Video shows two party goers hoisting a puppy in the air and forcing the dog to drink beer from a keg.
The five-second video posted on Snapchat was taken at an off-campus Hofstra University fraternity Saturday.
"That's disgusting. A dog can't say no," said neighbor Violet Avery.
Avery lives a few doors down from the Alpha Epsilon Pi house. She says she has dealt with the parties for decades, but this crosses the line.
"They are young people, they want to have fun, but there is a sense of decency in the neighborhood," Avery told CBS2's Tara Jakeway.
"It's wrong on every level. It's just not rational thinking," said Gary Rogers of the Nassau County SPCA.
Rogers says the owner of the 10-month-old King Charles Cavalier is one of the men in the video and he may face charges.
"A misdemeanor for failure to provide adequate sustenance and overdrive and torture of an animal," Rogers said.
The pup's owner is a 21-year-old senior at Hofstra, where some students viewed the stunt as beyond sophomoric.
"You don't need to involve animals. That's very wrong to me. I don't know why they felt the need to do that," said student Lili Nash.
The fraternity reacted to the incident, saying in part "Alpha Epsilon Pi International has placed our chapter at Hofstra University on 'cease and desist' due to suspected violations of our health and safety policies."
Punishment beyond the suspension is still pending investigation, but the court of public opinion's verdict is in.
"Those kids are college kids. They're supposed to be the future of this nation. They should act more responsibly," said neighbor Bernac Celestin.
The Nassau County SPCA told Jakeway the dog is living in good conditions and today he's doing just fine.
Despite what happened, the dog - who police would not name - is being returned to the owner.
Hofstra University is condemning the incident, saying the students violated its code of conduct.
