SANFORD, Fla. — A Sanford HVAC technician has been arrested on an aggravated animal cruelty charge after police say he intentionally kicked a homeowner’s dog while working inside the residence.
According to the Sanford Police Department, officers were notified of the incident on Wednesday.
Police said the incident was captured by a Furbo dog treat dispenser inside the home.
The device’s camera was activated by the dog’s movement and recorded the technician allegedly kicking the small dog.
Investigators said the dog was rendered unconscious for a significant period of time following the kick.
The homeowner witnessed the incident through the Furbo video and contacted Sanford police, according to investigators.
Police identified the suspect as Richardson Noel, 43, and said he was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith called the incident disturbing, saying the suspect violated the trust placed in him while working inside someone’s home.
“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,” Smith said in a statement. “The video is difficult to watch and shows the callousness of this individual.”
Police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact the Sanford Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
The HVAC company, EL Danta, released the following statement 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.
With deepest sincerity and regret."
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