A Florida HVAC technician was fired and arrested after he allegedly was caught on video violently abusing a small dog while on the job.
The Sanford Police Department said it was alerted on Wednesday to an “incident that took place where an HVAC technician who was working inside a resident’s home intentionally kicked the homeowner’s dog.”
‘May God watch over their sweet fur baby and bring healing and comfort to their family.’
Police said the suspect — identified as 43-year-old Richardson Noel — was caught on video allegedly abusing the animal by a dog treat dispenser that doubles as a motion-activated camera.
The footage shows a man entering the home shortly before 11:30 a.m. last Monday as a 12-year-old Chihuahua named Boomer barks at him, according to People magazine.
Seconds after entering the house, the disturbing video appears to show the man violently kicking the small dog and sending the animal airborne.
Ryan Menzies, the dog’s owner, told WESH-TV that the incident occurred while he and his girlfriend were at work; she received a motion alert from the dispenser’s app.
Menzies said his girlfriend sent him a video of the alleged animal abuse.
“I was standing in the parking garage at work, and I said out loud, ‘Oh, my God,’ and almost started crying,” Menzies recalled. “And then anger took over, because I knew I had to get home.”
“She looked back in the video, and that’s when she called me back and said, ‘You need to get home now. He kicked the dog. …'” Menzies told WKMG-TV. “She started crying when she first saw it and then immediately went to her supervisor and said, ‘I need to leave.'”
According to Menzies, the brutal kick knocked the senior dog unconscious and triggered a seizure.
“He gave a 100-pound kick to an animal that’s five pounds,” Menzies said. “So [Boomer] flipped over, slid along the floor, and was unconscious for over a minute, after which he woke up and had a seizure for five minutes.”
WESH said that during the 65-second video, Noel can be seen returning twice — first moving the dog’s head around with his boot and then turning him over. The station said Boomer remained limp for the remainder of the recording.
Menzies said Boomer and the couple’s other Chihuahua were secured in another room, but it was unclear how the dog got out.
According to Menzies, the veterinarian said Boomer had no broken bones but warned that the animal could have internal bruising.
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Police said Noel turned himself in to authorities Thursday.
Noel, of Broward County, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
Citing jail records, WESH reported that Noel’s bond was set at $8,000, and he was released from jail Thursday night after posting bond.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith stated, “It is deeply disturbing that someone entrusted with entering a person’s home to complete a service would violate that trust by viciously injuring a defenseless animal. The video is difficult to watch and shows the callousness of this individual.”
According to the arrest report, Noel was on a service call for his employer, ElDante HVAC Services, LLC, at the time of the incident.
The company announced that Noel has been fired and issued an apology on its website:
First and foremost, we offer our deepest and most sincere apologies for the incident involving one of our technicians. As pet parents ourselves, we fully understand the emotional gravity of witnessing a beloved dog being subjected to physical harm. We are truly sorry for the distress and pain this incident has caused.
While the technician has shared that he has had negative experiences with dogs in the past, his actions are absolutely not justified. The behavior he displayed was completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values, standards, principles, or professionalism that we hold our company and our team to.
We have taken this matter extremely seriously. The technician’s employment was terminated immediately after we reviewed the circumstances and the available evidence. Criminal charges have also been pursued, and we are cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities regarding this matter.
When we first became aware of the incident, we immediately questioned the technician about what had occurred. In his initial account, he stated that the dog had attempted to bite him twice. After reviewing the recorded evidence later that same day, we determined that his account did not accurately reflect what had occurred. This further confirmed our decision to terminate his employment that same evening.
We also want to emphasize that we have a strict company policy that no technician is permitted to enter a property when unattended pets or minors are present. In this situation, the technician failed to follow our established safety protocol and proceeded on his own rather than contacting his supervisor for guidance. This was a serious violation of our company policy.
We have personally extended our sincerest apologies to the tenants and offered our assistance in any way we can during this difficult time. We sincerely hope their beloved dog makes a full and speedy recovery.
May God watch over their sweet fur baby and bring healing and comfort to their family. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them during this difficult time.
WESH reported that ElDante HVAC Services, LLC did not respond when asked if the company would pay for Boomer’s veterinary bills.
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Animal abuse, Animals, Florida, Florida man, Animal cruelty, Dog, Crime