Ex-Buffalo Football Players Facing Animal Cruelty Charge Over Social Media Video

Blake Hiligh and Zachary Pilarcek, two former Buffalo football players, are facing an animal cruelty charge after a social media video appeared to show them abusing a dog, the Erie County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday.

Hiligh, 19, and Pilarcek, 20, apparently posted a video on June 13 where they beat a four-year-old male miniature poodle named Kobe using a leather belt. The next day, the SPCA Serving Erie County seized the dog and transferred it to a veterinary clinic, where it was treated for bruises and abrasions.

The two former players are being charged with one count of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide proper sustenance.

Following the incident, Buffalo suspended—then dismissed—both Hiligh and Pilarcek from the team. Hiligh was a cornerback while Pilarcek was a tight end, and both were about to enter their sophomore years.

Pilarcek will next appear in court July 27, and Hiligh on Aug. 3, for “further proceedings” of their case. They each face a maximum of one year in jail.