SANFORD, Florida — A Sanford HVAC worker arrested on an aggravated animal cruelty charge was allegedly caught on a homeowner’s pet camera kicking a 5-pound Chihuahua hard enough to knock the dog unconscious, according to police.
The footage left the dog’s owner, Ryan Menzies, stunned.
“Then anger took over,” Menzies told FOX 35 Orlando after describing his reaction to seeing the recording.
Sanford police identified the technician as 43-year-old Richardson Noel. Police said Noel was inside the Sanford home for an HVAC service call when a Furbo dog-treat dispenser equipped with a camera recorded the encounter.
The dog, a 12-year-old Chihuahua named Boomer, was home with another dog while the technician worked at the residence, Menzies told FOX 35.
According to police, the motion-activated camera recorded Noel kicking the small dog and leaving Boomer unconscious for what investigators described as a “significant period of time.” News 6 WKMG reported that the homeowner reported the incident, leading to Noel’s arrest.
Pet camera captured what happened inside the Florida home
Menzies said his wife was watching the camera feed when she saw Boomer approach the technician.
Sanford police say the video then captured the kick that caused the tiny dog to collapse.
Menzies told FOX 35 he was at work when he saw the video.
He said he “almost started crying” before anger replaced the initial shock.
Boomer was later examined by a veterinarian. Menzies said no broken bones were found, though the family believed the Chihuahua may have suffered internal bruising.
The good news for the family is that Boomer has since returned home. His owner said the senior dog was eating treats, resting and beginning to act playful again.
The incident has also changed how the family thinks about allowing service workers into the home while pets are unattended.
Menzies said that in the future, the family plans either to have someone home during maintenance visits or to keep the dogs secured behind a closed door.
Police chief: ‘The video is difficult to watch’
Sanford Police Chief Cecil Smith focused not only on the alleged treatment of the dog but also on the trust homeowners place in workers invited into their homes.
“The video is difficult to watch,” Smith said in a statement reported by WFTV Channel 9.
Smith said the footage showed what he called the “callousness” of the person recorded and said it was disturbing that someone trusted to enter a customer’s home would allegedly injure an animal inside it.
Noel was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty. The charge is an allegation, and criminal responsibility will ultimately be determined through the court process.
HVAC company says technician was fired
The technician’s employer at the time, ELDante HVAC Services, said it terminated his employment after reviewing the circumstances and available video.
In a statement reported by News 6, the company apologized to Boomer’s family and said the worker’s conduct was inconsistent with its standards. The company also said it was cooperating with authorities.
The company said the technician initially claimed the dog had tried to bite him. After reviewing the recording, however, company officials said they determined that account did not accurately reflect what they saw and terminated him.
Florida corporate records list ELDante HVAC Services LLC as an active Florida limited liability company.
Sanford police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact the department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
For Boomer’s family, the case has already produced one immediate change: a camera meant to dispense dog treats has become the reason they know what police say happened inside their home when they weren’t there.
