When two B.C. SPCA officers entered the 39th-floor condo of a downtown Vancouver building Wednesday night they found a Doberman pinscher puppy in its crate, surrounded by the stench of its own urine with its food and water bowls out of reach, according to court documents.

Once let out of her cage, Sade — the one-year-old female puppy — was skittish around people and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officers said she appeared physically abused, according to the information to obtain a search warrant filed in B.C. Provincial Court and obtained by The Sun.

A day earlier, a concerned citizen had called the SPCA’s cruelty hotline and sent video footage of Sade and a man in the elevator at the Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia, according to the search warrant documents.

That video — dated July 27 — showed the man kicking the dog in the stomach repeatedly and yanking her “leash aggressively over his right shoulder to the point where (the) dog is lifted into the air chocking (sic) the dog,” according to the search warrant documents. Members of the public were outraged Thursday night after Global News obtained the video and led its main newscast with the footage.

The SPCA’s court documents identify the man in the video as Desmond Hague. Desmond (Des) Hague is the president and CEO of Centerplate Inc. — one of North America’s largest sports arena catering companies that serves food at BC Place, Denver’s Sports Authority Field at Mile High and San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

Hague, who lives in Connecticut and gave the SPCA a number with that area code, released a statement Saturday.

"I take full responsibility for my actions," he said. "This incident is completely and utterly out of character and I am ashamed and deeply embarrassed. Under the circumstances of the evening in question, a minor frustration with a friend's pet caused me to lose control of my emotional response. Unfortunately, I acted inappropriately, and I am deeply sorry for that and am very grateful that no harm was caused to the animal."

"I have reached out to the SPCA and have personally apologized to the dog's owner. At this time, I would like to extend my apology to my family, company and clients, as I understand that this has also reflected negatively on them."

No charges have been laid against him and none of the allegations has been proven in court.

The B.C. SPCA’s chief prevention and enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty said her organization has recommended animal cruelty charges against Hague and that Crown counsel is now reviewing the case. She added that Crown could proceed with charges under the criminal or provincial Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which both could bring jail time or a lifetime ban on pet ownership.

Sade was seized by the SPCA Wednesday night and is now “in good hands” with “no real lasting physical damage,” Moriarty said.

Moriarty asked anyone who sees an animal in distress to phone the SPCA hotline at 1-855-622-7722.

mhager@postmedia.com

www.twitter.com/MikePHager

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