Desmond Hague, former CEO, pleads guilty to animal cruelty

Desmond Hague, the American CEO caught on video abusing a puppy in a Vancouver hotel elevator, has pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty.

Hague was not in Vancouver provincial court on Tuesday, but his agent entered the plea on his behalf.

In the security video from the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia, Hague kicks at a Doberman pup, which starts cowering, then swings it up off the ground by its leash, jerking it around. The puppy, named Sade, was not his dog, but he was caring for it.

After the July 2014 video came to light, Hague resigned as CEO of U.S. catering company Centerplate, which runs the food concession at B.C. Place and many U.S. sports facilities

He was charged last month under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and his sentencing hearing will begin on April 15. 

If convicted, Hague faces a maximum fine of $75,000, up to two years in jail, and a lifetime ban on owning animals.

Before he resigned, Hague was also ordered by the company to donate $100,000 to set up a foundation "to help support the protection and safety of animals in the city of Vancouver where the incident occurred" and to perform 1,000 hours of community service with an animal welfare organization.