Sports catering CEO resigns after dog kicking incident
Des Hague, the chief executive at Centerplate, was caught on video kicking a friend’s pooch in an elevator.
We want to reiterate that we do not condone nor would we ever overlook the abuse of animals. Following an extended review of the incident involving Mr. Hague, I’d like to apologize for the distress that this situation has caused to so many; but also thank our employees, clients, and guests who expressed their feelings about this incident. Their voices helped us to frame our deliberations during this very unusual and unfortunate set of circumstances.
The video set off a social media firestorm, with many calling for Hague’s dismissal. A Change.org petition had 150,000 signatures encouraging the company to fire him. Centerplate’s initial response to the video was to say it was a “personal matter.” Here’s a YouTube version of the video, which is pretty upsetting. Hague has agreed to donate $100,000 to help Vancouver-area animals and complete 1,000 hours of community service. He also issued a statement that read:
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