You never know who is watching you when you think you’re alone. Desmond Hague is a shocking case that proves even though animals can’t talk, justice for them can come out in the strangest ways.

Desmond Hague, a former CEO, was witnessed entering an elevator in Vancouver with a Doberman pinscher, before shockingly kicking it numerous times and yanking the poor pet’s collar so hard that it was lifted in the air.

Hague was supposed to be pet-sitting the dog for his friend, and he probably never imagined in his wildest dreams that footage of the highly disturbing scene would end up in the public eye. It was initially aired on Global News last month. Officials at the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals claimed they discovered the tape from a concerned citizen, and the video resulted in calls from people wanting to boycott Hague’s company: Centreplate, a catering business that has previously joined forces with over 300 event venues all across the U.S., U.K. and Canada.

Since the incident, Hague has apologized for his behaviour, which he deemed to be very out of character. This was not enough, however. Thanks to pressure from people on social media who were horrified by the incident, Hague was forced to resign from his position. According to an article on Fox News, the chairman of the board, Joe O’ Donnell, stated that the company does not condone or overlook the abuse of animals.

This sort of behaviour should not be tolerated in society and it’s great to see a company stand up against animal abuse. The poor dog, who was taken into SPCA custody, was said to be doing well after the harrowing incident. Its owner was allowed to appeal to have the dog returned to him/her.

*Image courtesy Flickr Creative Commons