By Caurie Putnam
BROCKPORT, New York (Reuters) – Mya, the puppy whose photo showing her held upside down above a keg and drinking beer resulted in animal cruelty charges against two college students, was headed back to the off-campus home of her owner on Tuesday.
A photo of the 4-month-old black Labrador doing a “kegstand” at the home of students at College at Brockport, part of State University of New York, went viral over the weekend after it was posted on a Twitter account called the SUNY Party Stories page.
Two of the roommates, Shane Oliver and Robert Yates, both 20, were charged with misdemeanor torturing or injuring an animal at the multi-unit rental home across from campus.
The dog, owned by a third roommate who was not present at the time of the incident, was taken into custody by animal control in the Town of Sweden, which encompasses the Village of Brockport.
“The dog is in excellent health and going home to the owner,” Dog Control Officer Kathy Beaumont said on Tuesday.
“He had an excellent record of taking care of the pup,” Beaumont said. “Her shots were up to date and he was not involved with the incident in any way.”
Oliver, of Bergen, New York, is accused of holding the dog above the beer keg and Yates, of West Seneca, New York, is accused of taking the photo and posting it on Twitter. Both are due in Sweden Town Court on April 2.
The college declined to comment on whether the students would be disciplined, citing privacy laws, said school spokesman John Follaco.
Yates and Oliver were not immediately available for comment.
(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Gunna Dickson)