Dog-kicking CEO will seek therapy

View the Video Dog-kicking CEO will seek therapy

The Qualcomm Stadium concessionaire who admitted repeatedly kicking a dog when he thought no one was watching is going into therapy to address his anger-management issues, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Centerplate, the international catering giant that runs concessions at the Q and scores of venues across North America, also announced Wednesday that CEO Desmond Hague has been formally censured by the company’s board and ordered to donate $100,000 to charity.

Hague was placed on indefinite probation as a result of his actions and will face immediate termination should he abuse any more animals, the company said. The company has also ordered him to perform 1,000 hours of unspecified community service.

“We pride ourselves as individuals and as a company on how we treat others — both humans and animals,” a Centerplate statement Wednesday said. “The company finds Mr. Hague’s personal behavior unacceptable and outside the bounds of our high standards and expectations of all of our staff.”

Hague has become the object of worldwide scorn in recent days, after a video of him kicking a small dog inside a Vancouver elevator was posted online. The video also shows Hague jerking the leash so hard that the year-old Doberman pinscher, named Sade, was lifted off the floor.

The case has sparked a criminal probe by animal-cruelty investigators in British Columbia, who recommended that charges be filed.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Wednesday it will take time for prosecutors to determine whether to proceed.

“It can take anywhere from two weeks to a year, depending on how busy the office is and how complicated the case is,” said Lorie Chortyk of the Vancouver SPCA.

The incident occurred in late July in the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia, a downtown Vancouver high-rise. An unidentified employee reported the case to the SPCA last Thursday, along with a copy of the surveillance video.

The SPCA has taken custody of the dog. It will be made available for adoption if the owner does not file an appeal by next Thursday.

The Connecticut-based corporation also holds multimillion-dollar concession contracts at the San Diego Convention Center and Qualcomm Stadium, where the San Diego Chargers will host the Arizona Cardinals at 7 p.m. Thursday in a pre-season matchup.

Convention Center officials, under contract with Centerplate until 2026, issued a statement Monday decrying Hague’s actions.

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer released a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“Mr. Hague’s actions in the videotape are disturbing. They don’t reflect the values held by San Diegans or the values held by the hundreds of local Centerplate employees working in San Diego,” the statement said. “The City intends to review the contract with the City Attorney’s Office to consider all options.”

The Charges issued a similar statement Wednesday evening, saying, “We were shocked to learn of the disturbing behavior of Des Hague and have voiced our displeasure and concern to Centerplate’s leadership. It’s unfortunate that his actions have tainted the local Centerplate employees who devotedly serve our fans.”

Centerplate’s contract with Qualcomm Stadium, which generates about $17 million a year, expires in February 2015. The stadium is owned by the city of San Diego.

At change.org, more than 17,000 people signed a petition calling for Hague to be fired.

Centerplate did not respond to follow-up questions about the $100,000 donation, how it will enforce the probation or whether its CEO actually owns the mistreated animal.

Hague said in a statement over the weekend that he lost his composure while caring for a friend’s dog. But Chortyk told the Watchdog on Monday that Hague is Sade’s owner and the dog shows signs of having been abused in the past.

It was unclear what form of therapy the Centerplate CEO is planning to pursue.

The company statement said, “Mr. Hague has agreed to attend counseling to address his anger management issues and has publicly expressed he is deeply ashamed and remorseful for his behavior.”

The $100,000 donation ordered by the Centerplate board of directors apparently will be used to form a new charity that will be called the Sade Foundation.

The organization will be established “in honor of the dog (Hague) mistreated in the elevator to help support the protection and safety of animals in the city of Vancouver where the incident occurred,” the company said.