Former Environmental Firm CEO Charged With Animal Neglect

SANTA MONICA, CA — The former CEO of an environmental firm who was seen in security video swinging a dog around by its collar and smacking it in the elevator of an apartment building in Santa Monica has been charged with one count of animal neglect, it was reported Friday morning.

The Santa Monica City Attorney's Office filed one count of misdemeanor animal neglect against Jeffrey Previte, TMZ said. The charge carries a maximum conviction of six months in jail and a fine of $500.

Civilian officers with the Santa Monica Police Department's Animal Services Unit responded to the 1700 block of Ocean Avenue on Sept. 4 and were given video of the incident and information about the person involved, according to the department. The incident occurred on Aug. 22, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Officers attempted to meet with Previte and check on the condition of the dog, but were unable to locate him or the animal, police said.

During a follow-up investigation, officers were able to talk with Previte by phone and received images showing the dog was still in his care, police said.

Previte, the former joint CEO for EBI Consulting, an environmental risk and compliance management consultancy firm, began a leave of absence from the company in early September to enroll in an anger management program and spend time and money helping animal rights organizations, TMZ reported.

Previte later apologized for what happened and said he would give up ownership of the dog, TMZ said.

The breed of the dog was unclear.

Animal activists called on authorities to investigate the incident. PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch, describing the apology in September as "too little, too late."

"Previte should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and prohibited from ever owning an animal again," Nachminovitch told Patch.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report