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A CenterPoint Energy worker is now the subject of an internal investigation after entering a customer’s backyard unannounced and brutally attacking two dogs with a wrench.
The gas company employee showed up unexpectedly one morning last month to work on the family’s gas meter. Instead of knocking on the front door to let them know, he went straight into the fenced backyard where he was greeted by the family dogs, a pair of friendly but curious Weimaraners, Shutter and Flash.
The scene that unfolded was, thankfully, all caught on the Willcox’s home surveillance system.
In the video, the worker is seen swinging a heavy wrench, striking one dog on the face and the other in the side as she tried to run away. Later, the same worker can be seen swinging at the dogs again in another part of the yard.
One dog suffered a lost tooth, damage to her eye, and a concussion. Flash needed surgery to repair a damaged jaw. And, the family’s 4-year old son, who saw it all happen through a window, is now afraid to go outside for fear of being attacked by “monsters.”
CenterPoint sent ABC13 the following statement:
We have determined that a CenterPoint Energy contractor was at this address on this date. CenterPoint Energy does not condone or tolerate abuse of animals by our employees or our contractors. We have notified the contract company and they have assured us that they will conduct a full investigation into the incident.
It is unknown whether the Willcox family intend to pursue legal action. Their main objective in telling their story and sharing the video is to make CenterPoint reevaluate how they handle encounters with dogs and to warn other pet owners. Simply announcing their visit before entering the backyard would have prevented the ordeal.
YOU BIGOTS
Apr 18, 2016 at 12:35 am
WHATE FUCKERS!!!! I just really really really dont know what to do!! THAT MAN IS A UTILITY WORKER….CUTTING OFF THE GAS….YOU CANGT STOP HIM..YOU CANT BLOCK HIM…HE IS FEDERALLY PROTECTED…
my GOD!!! I cant even get EMPLOYMENT and you DIRTY LOW LIFE FUCKS want to THROW US IN JAIL!?!?!?! How dare you sick Racist assholes, run this story as HE attacked THEM!!! Like he just walked in and attacked some damn dogs..AND YOU paint them as friendsly and curious. HE DOESNT HAVE TO PLAY DOG WHISPERER!! people who dont want their services shut off set dogs out against the worker, and THAT IS A CRIME…Unless youre black. THEN He has to endure WHITE employers investigating HIM as “attacking the dog” ARE YOU FUCKS SERIOUS!?!?!?! I was in SHOCK and appaulted that you people in 20 fucking 16 could even set your mouths to STOOP to this level of racist bigotry…MY GOD where can we GO!?!?! WHAT CAN WE DO!??!?! Hell, your cops feel we dont matter, your George zimmermans get to attack us…DAMN what the hell do we have to do!?!?!?! We protest and you arrest us. You put us in jail for weed, and YOU had rallies to legalize it, smoking it in the faces of cops till it was!!!!]
]MY GOD where do I have to go? I cant go to africa becuase you fucks are over there fuckin up!!! Selling guns to people that dont make them…to assure YOU are “free”…you have your damn armies in other lands becuase YOUR freedom costs…..THE LIVES OF OTHERS. ARE YOU PEOPLE SO FUCKING RACIST, that you never thought that if the dogs were ALREADY loose, that they would have been at the gate ALREADY? their dogs!!! they would have heard him coming to the gate ALREADY…THAT WHITE FUCKER LET THE DOG OUT…that how BOTH dogs didnt show untill he was damn near in the back of the house you idiots
Madeline Loder
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:11 pm
Yuck! This guy must be fired. Obviously, he fears dogs and has no understanding that he was invading their territory. He has the wrong job!
Paula
Apr 13, 2016 at 4:41 pm
This piece of crap should go to jail,and have the jailers hit his head with a heavy tool! I hope they sue,and win big
LLG
Apr 12, 2016 at 7:04 pm
NOT acceptable…this man needs to be held accountable…he went out of his way to injure 2 animals…he needs to be fired and fined….very sad that he would hurt 2 dogs that obviously weren’t looking threatening…how dare him. NOT OKAY…I hope the owners go after him for this.
Madeline Loder
Apr 13, 2016 at 7:08 pm
I agree! this man has to be punished……………………and fired!
S Hall
Apr 12, 2016 at 10:32 am
If you come into my yard unannounced and start beating on my dog who is running a way from you then you better never ever show your face again because you will be the one getting the beat down. They should press animal cruelty charges on the POS and sue the company for all vet expenses. That is unacceptable. Anyone with any common sense would have seen the dogs and left a note on the front door that they needed to service the meter and to call and make arrangements to have the dogs put up. But beings the dogs were running away from him and he was chasing them with a pipe wrench tells me he was wanting to hurt them all along. Hurt my pets and you get an ass full of lead.
lisa
Apr 12, 2016 at 8:20 pm
Agreed
Lynn Hewitt
Apr 12, 2016 at 1:19 am
well guess what I thought he might be fearful – but if he came armed with the wrench he was being hateful to dogs – why not carry a treat baggie??? He should have announced his presence
Sandy
Apr 11, 2016 at 7:02 pm
The worker was, obviously, not familiar with any animal, or he wouldn’t have taken that approach. He was DEFINITELY at fault! But, I also feel, the contractor needs better training tools to protect themselves, their workers and customers and their families.
John leaman
Apr 11, 2016 at 5:35 pm
Well,if was me,I,s be in jail I would have killed the battered!
Cathy M
Apr 11, 2016 at 4:07 pm
The employee should be fired and brought up on charges. AND the company should review their standards and guidelines. Totally unacceptable. I’d sue. Poor furbabies and child 🙁
casey
Apr 12, 2016 at 12:41 pm
I second this comment… I was going to write the exact words until I read this one.
BW
Apr 11, 2016 at 3:32 pm
You lose the “I was scared for my life defense” when you fail to retreat from the confrontation. When an intruder attacks your dogs, the proper response should be confronting the intruder with a 9mm and ordering them to the ground until their identity is established. Unfortunately, that can take a while since they shouldn’t be moving while I am unsure of their intentions.
winston
Apr 11, 2016 at 7:12 pm
would u have turned your back on that dog and ran? you are as stupid as the guy that hit the dog. i sure wouldnt want to live next door to you.
starscreeam
Apr 12, 2016 at 2:25 pm
“Retreating” does *not* mean turning your back and running…which any intelligent person knows is something you never do. It means backing up slowly while keeping an eye on the situation. If these dogs weren’t actively attacking, retreating cautiously is *exactly* what that POS should have been doing.
J
Apr 11, 2016 at 3:09 pm
I hope this guy loses his job and gets brought up on animal abuse charges.
Jean Dunn
Apr 11, 2016 at 4:57 pm
I agree with all of the above. That was deplorable. He should be locked up. Disgusting.