He also said, "I've replayed the incident time and time again." Hague said Sade's owner remains a friend of his.
"I wish I could have controlled the incident with the dog better," Hague said. On Friday, Hague told CNBC that before he got into the elevator with Sade, the dog had pulled on its leash so hard that it dislocated two of Hague's fingers."
"This incident is completely and utterly out of character and I am ashamed and deeply embarrassed."
"I take full responsibility for my actions," Hague said in a statement at the time to the Canadian TV network Global News. In addition to public outrage, Centerplate clients were concerned about the situation, including the San Francisco 49ers football team, which condemned Hague's conduct. Sade belonged to a friend of Hague's.ĭisclosure of the video sparked a massive backlash against Hague and Stamford-based Centerplate, which provides food and beverage services to major sporting venues, arenas, convention centers and other locations across North America. He also pulled hard on her leash, to the extent that the pooch's paws left the floor of the elevator. Hague is seen on the video repeatedly kicking the dog. Hague had been charged by authorities after the emergence of an July 2014 surveillance video from a Vancouver hotel that showed him tormenting a 5-month-old Doberman pinscher named Sade in an elevator. The charge is the equivalent of a misdemeanor in the United States. Hague's appointment as Froozer's top executive came a year after a Canadian judge fined him $5,000 and banned him from owning or controlling an animal for three years following his guilty plea to a single count of causing an animal to be in distress. Other recent images he posted show him feeding sharks and heading into the pricey sushi restaurant Nobu. This week, the Connecticut resident had updated his Twitter followers about a vacation in the Bahamas, where a photo Hague posted Thursday shows him swimming with pigs. Philanthropist," and an "imperfect human being working to better myself." Hague's Twitter feed shows him looking relaxed, and trimmer than his days at Centerplate. Hague said that one positive side effect from the case is the fact that "it has allowed me to spend more time recently with family and friends." He also said he's learned a lot about himself "from my mistake," and gotten healthier physically, acknowledging that the stress of running Centerplate "got to me." It's really simple and a great product," Hague said. "I came across this healthy food that's good for athletes, kids and more. Hague said he was excited to identify an opportunity to invest in Froozer. "I made a dreadful mistake one night, but I believe it has not defined me, and I think I have the potential to do good." "In my case, it was less than a minute in Vancouver two years ago," Hague said. He noted that legendary investor Warren Buffett has been quoted as saying "it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." He also talked about his desire to do good on the heels of that, his charitable endeavors and his enthusiasm about working with Froozer. In an interview with CNBC on Friday, Hague discussed his remorse over the incident with the dog, which he had kicked repeatedly and whose leash he had harshly yanked. His hiring was first reported by The Advocate newspaper in Stamford, Conn. "I am fully invested in the Froozer brand and its potential," Hague said in a statement last week. Colorado-based Froozer sells tubes of frozen fruit and vegetables, an official snack of the U.S.
The 48-year-old Hague, who pleaded guilty in connection to the incident, became an investor and chairman of the board several months ago of his new company Froozer.