Cornell Student Tortures and Blinds Dog! You Can Sign Petition to Make Sure He’s Punished!
Thanks to Sarah for barking in about this important petition. This abuser needs to be taken off the street for a long, long time! Please note that the petition calls for Atkind’s expulsion from Cornell. While this may not seem like a harsh enough penalty for this crime, it is a serious penalty and will hopefully both let Atkind know he HAS done something wrong and mark his record for the rest of his life so others will be alerted to his emotional sickness.
Sarah wrote:
Dear Joy,I hope you can put this on the Dogster Blog to sprtead the word about yet another terrible case of animal abuse. A student of Cornell University severely abused a dog left in his care. He beat the dog to the point where the skull of the poor pup could be seen and then proceeded to pour bleach over the animal. This is absolutely terrible and there is no excuse for this.
Even worse the person who did it does not feel any remorse and says that he would do it again.
Our fellow dogster Cera Marie has started a petition against this person. Please take a moment to sign it.
We can not let this happen and stand and watch. Let’s speak up for the ones who can’t!
Follow this link to sign the petition.
Here is part of the news report from the Ithaca Journal:
Cornell student charged with torturing animal
Man allegedly beat, poured bleach on dog
From Journal Staff ReportsITHACA — A 23-year-old Cornell student from the Boston area, taking care of another person’s dog for a night, was charged with beating it and pouring bleach on it, leaving it with diminished eyesight for life, the Ithaca Police Department said.
Alexander H. Atkind, 23, of 710 Stewart Ave., Apt. 8 and of Lexington, Mass., was charged with “overdriving, torturing and injuring animals” in violation of a section of the state Agriculture and Markets law. The offense is a misdemeanor. He was released with a ticket to appear in Ithaca City Court on Wednesday, March 21.
According to an Ithaca police report, the case began when the owner of the dog contacted the police department at 4 a.m. Saturday, March 10. The dog’s owner told the investigating officer he’d left his dog, later identified as a black-and-white, 30-pound Labrador-pit bull mix named Princess, in the care of Atkind while spending Thursday night, March 8, at a family member’s house.
On Friday, March 9, the dog’s owner talked to Atkind on the phone, who said the dog had chewed on a speaker wire Atkind owned. Atkind told the owner he’d beaten Princess, and poured bleach and laundry detergent on her, but the dog was all right. Late Friday, the owner came home and found the dog severely beaten and called police.
The officer found the apartment and kennel area in disarray, with dog food, bleach and detergent spilled. The dog had a laceration 1 inch by 2 inches wide, and some of its skull was showing through, according to the officer’s report. He called the Cornell University veterinary hospital and took the dog there for evaluation. The next day, he was told by the attending veterinarian that the dog suffered chemical burns to its face, eyes, back, groin area and paws. It would likely have diminished eyesight the rest of its life, and it had blood in its stool, probably from ingesting some bleach by licking itself.The officer called Atkind, who admitted beating the dog, and agreed to come talk further at police headquarters, according to the police report. There, he was formally charged but refused to speak further without an attorney present. He was given a ticket for city court and released.
The officer noted in his report that Atkind acted “cocky and arrogant” and “made numerous comments that this incident meant nothing to him, that he would do it again, and that he knows how the criminal justice system works, and guaranteed me the prosecution of this case would result in an ACD in City Court.” The reference is to an “adjournment in contemplation of dismissal,” in which a judge typically tells a defendant to stay out of trouble for a period of time and the case will be dismissed.
Follow this link to read the rest of the article.
Perhaps the most information on Atkind comes from the Cornell Blog: An Unofficial Blog about Cornell University. Seems that Atkind has never been Mr. Popularity, based in large part on his inability to get along with others.
We must all make sure Atkind pays for what he did to Princess. She needs us all to speak on her behalf.
That last sentence “his inability to get along with others” sums it all up. People who will do this to animals are just as likely to commit the same kind of pitiless abuse on human beings. If he’s not stopped, next time it will be a child, homeless person, or elderly person.
Yeah! thanks for putting that up! She has been trying sooooo hard to get pup & people to sign! Come on Dogsters make it 1000 signed!
What makes this all the more upseting is the fact that the police are not doing anything. People like this don’t just stop and many of them go on to become serial killers. This is a serious vrime and something needs to be done about it now, rather then let it continue. It may take a while for things escalate but eventually they will.
Punish him. Someone like him will torture a child next.
I already signed this petition. It sickens me so much! This guy needs to go down!
“What makes this all the more upseting is the fact that the police are not doing anything. People like this don’t just stop and many of them go on to become serial killers. This is a serious vrime and something needs to be done about it now, rather then let it continue. It may take a while for things escalate but eventually they will.”
They are.. he’s being brought up on felony charges.
Someone should look into this guys past. Some psychs think there is a link between animal abuse and more heinous violent crimes…
Mom signed the petition earlier also. She also dropped a line to the Director of Community Relations at Cornell. Here is mom’s letter:
“On Apr 2, 2007, at 9:30 AM, SHarper wrote:
I have followed with great horror the plight of the dog abused by one of your students Alexander Atkind. Your university knows worldwide acclaim for the intelligent individuals educated at your great university. It would be a travesty of justice and a black mark against your university’s good name to allow this person to carry a diploma from your institution.
Animal abuse should never be tolerated, and those who so arrogantly flaunt their animal and drug abusing attitudes should pay the price of being punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Furthermore, it is my humble opinion that Mr. Atkind does not deserve any better quality of life than washing dishes at the mission for the rest of his life. I believe he waived his right to a good and decent life when he made the decision to torture the puppy who did nothing more than chew on a stereo wire.
For the love of God, what if he’d been babysitting a child? It is time to send a strong message that animal abuse will not be tolerated. The social conscience of the world is changing to understand that domesticated animals are no longer able to fend for themselves and should be protected from violence and torture. NOTHING that this animal could possibly do would ever warrant the torture that Mr. Atkind bestowed upon this dog.
Please, send Mr. Atkind from your university without a diploma or degree, and do not allow him to ever attend your prestigious university ever again.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Sandi Harper
Here is the response she received:
“Dear Ms. Harper,
Thank you for contacting us.
We are distressed by the reports regarding a Cornell student’s torture of a dog. We find any abuse or torture of animals totally unacceptable and abhorrent and the facts of this incident as reported appear to be truly egregious.
Even though Cornell’s campus code of conduct permits disciplinary action to be taken with respect to off-campus behavior involving exceptionally grave misconduct, federal privacy laws prohibit the university from disclosing information from student records, including disciplinary records. Consequently, Cornell cannot comment on any disciplinary action that may have been taken in connection with this matter.
Because the incident happened off campus, the criminal investigation is being handled by the Ithaca Police Department, and is now pending in the Ithaca City Court. Therefore, we defer to the Tompkins County District Attorney for further comment about the criminal process. Similarly, we defer to the Tioga County District Attorney for any comments about the reported arrest of the same student on March 17, 2007, in Tioga County for criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Sincerely,
John
John C. Gutenberger
Director,
Community Relations
110 Day Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-2801
Phone (607) 255-4908, FAX (607) 255-5396, email ”
Just thought my fellow Dogsters would want to know.
Thanks Kenyon’s Mom for barking the response in from Cornell.
Sounds to me that they are doing an old CYA. They don’t want to do anything that could get them sued.
Keep on the pressure!
You bet, Joy. You know my big mouth will ALWAYS be flapping for the critters. The Cornell response has some GREAT contact information for those outspoken Dogsters who’d like to send them a message! *hint, hint*
Lately with all the violence towards animals, all I have to say is that mankind should be eradicate from the planet just like the cancer mankind is starting with that SOB.
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He needs a taste of his own medicine….I hope that he suffers and suffers….anyone who can hurt an animal. Is a coward…bring him to the bronx, ny and let me show him some kindness!!!! ha ha