The resignation of Briton Hague followed publicity surrounding CCTV footage from a lift in Vancouver, Canada which showed him kicking a friend’s Dobermann puppy and yanking its lead hard. The clip was obtained by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which made it public.
Originally Centerplate responded to the negative public reaction to the video by putting Hague on ‘indefinite probation’ and insisting that he personally pay $100,000 to a dog charity and serve 1,000 hours community service.
However, an online petition calling for his removal attracted more than 180,000 signatures, including from animal lovers and sports fans, and now Hague has resigned.
The sports connection has been played up in US and Canadian media coverage of the story because the majority of Centerplate’s business is working with sports teams.
The company acquired Lindley in April 2013, changing its name to Centerplate UK in December.
Joe O’Donnell, chairman of the board of directors for Centerplate, said: “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 apologise 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.”
O’Donnell said Verros had more than 35 years of experience and a reputation as one of the industry’s most respected leaders. The company’s chief operating officer since 2010, he helped the company to achieve unprecedented growth.
“I have been proud to work with Chris for more than 20 years, and feel that Centerplate is incredibly fortunate to have such a strong leader who can step into the role immediately,” O’Donnell added.
“This past week has been very difficult for our company, our employees and our clients in particular, and I have no doubt that Chris’ experience, vision, integrity, and commitment to our values and mission will help us all move forward together.”