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VANCOUVER – The CEO of the company that provides the food at BC Place has resigned following an incident in which he was caught on camera kicking a puppy in a downtown Vancouver elevator.

Centerplate’s board of directors announced Tuesday that CEO Desmond Hague resigned from the company and has been replaced by acting president and CEO Chris Verros.

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“We want to reiterate that we do not condone nor would we ever overlook the abuse of animals,” Joe O’Donnell, chairman of the board of directors for Connecticut-based Centerplate, said in a statement Tuesday. “Following an extended review of the incident involving Mr. Hague, I’d like to apologize for the distress that this situation has caused 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 resignation comes after Hague last week donated $100,000 toward the establishment of the Sade Foundation in honour of the dog he mistreated that was to go toward the protection and safety of animals in Vancouver.

Hague released a statement last week saying he was ashamed and embarrassed about the incident, which he attributed to losing control after a “minor frustration” with a friend’s pet.

The SPCA has recommended animal cruelty charges.