Jeffrey Previte EBI Consulting CEO investigated over dog abuse video apologizes, describing incident as overzealous disciplining as Santa Monica police investigate.
A CEO of an environmental consulting firm who was caught on camera beating his four-month-old puppy and widely maligned on social media has apologized, claiming having lost his temper as he sought to ‘discipline’ his dog after the dog peed on a rug.
Jeffrey Previte, 46, became person non gratas after video of the EBI Consulting executive showed him thrashing and choking his dog Bici outside his apartment in the Seychelle Condominiums building in Santa Monica, California, last month.
The video which was released this week after a concierge worker sent the video to the dailymail, led to Previte being widely condemned on social media, with many demanding the executive be arrested, and the animal seized along with demands for him to be fired and that outlets doing business with EBI dropping the environmental firm.
Responding to the outcry, Previte on Friday released a statement to friends and family which was republished by the dailymail.
Wrote the disgraced executive: ‘I want everyone to know that I truly regret my actions on August 22, 2020. Words can’t fully describe how sorry I am for what happened.
‘I have also stepped away from my job ‘
‘I lost my temper and took unreasonable and unjustifiable action in attempting to discipline my dog Bici. As I have said, words are not enough here, Bici is no longer living with me and is with another loving family. I have also stepped away from my job and am enrolling in anger management training.’
Now his brother Nolan Previte, who with Jeffrey is co-CEO of EBI Consulting, which is owned by their father, Frank E. Previte, has come to his defense in an email to the siblings’ employees.
In an email sent to EBI Consulting employees on Friday and obtained by DailyMail.com, Nolan defended Jeffrey by saying the August 22nd beating was simply ‘zealous discipline of the dog for peeing the rug’.
Nolan, 50, insisted his brother is ‘kindhearted’, denied he had any abusive tendencies and claimed Jeffrey ‘deeply cares’ for the pooch he was filmed beating.
Santa Monica police confirmed they were aware of the video and are currently investigating it as a possible incident of animal abuse.
Nolan wrote: ‘Please trust me here, Jeff certainly regrets the zealous discipline of the dog for peeing the rug, but I assure you this is absolute nonsense.
‘He’s an extremely kindhearted, sensitive, caring and thoughtful person with zero cruel or abusive tendencies. He’s truly the opposite of cruel or abusive.
‘Bici is living the life…’
‘And he deeply cares for Bici, as anyone who’s actually seen him with the dog would attest.’
Nolan went on to claim that the dog was ‘living the life’.
He wrote: ‘Reality is that Bici has been living the life, on the beach and in the woods with my wife and kids for most of the summer and she’s happy, comfy and full on my couch right now.’
Nolan went on to blame management of the Seychelle Condominiums for the video.
‘This has been weeks in the making,’ he wrote, ‘including attempted extortion, crazy false accusations, and building management ineptitude.’
The co-CEO of the environmental risk and compliance management consultancy firm ended the email by imploring employees not to discuss the dog-beating.
Environmental firm braces for public backlash
He wrote: ‘Thank you for your faith and trust and your help in dealing with this by not talking with anyone but me or Jeff.’
The brothers were appointed joint CEOs of EBI Consulting last month, a firm which is owned by their family. The company has over 400 employees in offices across the United States and Canada.
In the wake of overwhelming backlash, Jeffrey Previte’s name has been removed from its leadership page, where he was listed as the Vice Chairman and Co-CEO. Jeffrey was announced as the Co-Chief Executive Officer along with his brother Nolan Previte in a blog post on Aug. 20.
EBI has in the interim also de-activated all of its social media accounts as the outlet remains intent on riding out the public backlash. It remained unclear if an arrest in the animal abuse incident was forthcoming…
