Thanks to the Student Association and several greek organizations, help is on the way for the puppy abused by a Syracuse University student.

SU sophomore David Allen, a student in The College of Arts and Sciences, was charged Monday with torturing and injuring an animal and aggravated cruelty to animals.

Kevin Morrow, SU spokesman, said it is common for a student facing criminal charges to also face university judicial charges. Morrow would not specify the judicial punishment or charges the student will face.

Morrow said SA and the greek community have both became involved in raising funds for the puppy Allen is charged with abusing.

“The allegations of cruelty are disappointing,” Morrow said.

SA comptroller Erin Maghran said Associate Dean of students Joseph Oravecz approached her about bringing organizations together to help fund the puppy’s surgery. Maghran said the SA Cabinet will donate $1500 toward the puppy’s $2000 surgery that will repair its back hind legs, which were broken and require orthopedic surgery. She said the $1500 will come out of $6000 that SA made from the “Who is new” books sold to freshmen, and stressed that the money will not come from the student fee.

She added fraternities and sororities on campus are trying to raise $1 per member to further aid the puppy’s care, and if funds still fall below $2000 SA will make up the difference.

“This surgery will give the puppy a fighting chance,” Maghran said.

She said that Allen reflected poorly on SU but over 50 students involved in SA and hundreds involved in the greek community are showing the community the good SU students can do.

“We all felt that (abuse) was an action and behavior that was completely intolerable and disgusting, and should never happen again,” Maghran said.

Shawn Wallace, a senior policy studies major, said Allen should go before judicial affairs, which would mandate Allen attend anger management counseling.

He cited the great danger in having an animal abuser in the community.

“There is a significant correlation between a member of our society who can stoop as low as to harm domestic or wildlife animals and one who will harm students if they are not stopped,” Wallace said.

He said psychologists investigating a murder case in Rochester traced the murderer’s violent past, when he began abusing and torturing animals.

“As this case goes before Judicial Affairs we have to wonder if we have a killer among us,” Wallace said.

Published on October 30, 2002 at 12:00 pm