Chaya Cooperberg Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications stated the following by email, “Here is what we believe happened, based on our investigation and understanding of the incident. We had two employees on our truck. One was the driver, and one was his helper who collects the garbage cans and throws the garbage into the back of the truck. As the helper was servicing the Green residence, one of their pitbulls ran off of the property towards the helper. The dog was very aggressive, growling, baring his teeth, and lunging at our employee. He tried to use the garbage container as a shield. Our driver, seeing the dog attack, jumped out to help his partner. That’s when a second pitbull, also off leash, ran off the property towards our employees, who were both still outside of the truck.
Our driver and helper both felt threatened and in danger from the two dogs. The driver grabbed a baseball bat he had in his truck to wave the dogs away and allow his partner to get in the truck. As he waved the bat in front of the dogs to back them away, it hit one of the dogs in the eye. Our driver was not trying to hit the dog. He was trying to wave it away from his colleague and protect them both in a threatening and dangerous situation. He did not realize he had injured the dog because it ran into the house.
This is such an unfortunate outcome. We all feel very sorry for the Green family and what happened to their pet.”
We asked Ms. Cooperberg the following questions by email:
If the dog was vicious why did the driver get out of the vehicle? Down the street from this house this is the only house on the Block.
Do all your drivers and helpers carry baseball bats?
Why would a driver carry a baseball bat?
If he was attacked by a human being when he used a baseball bat and a human or child?
This was her response by email: “We absolutely do not condone the presence of bats on our trucks and it is not a typical practice – at the same time, the safety of our employees on their routes is very important to us. Waste collection workers in our industry are often in dangerous situations, working in the line of traffic.”
On April 28, 2016 the Lehigh Acres Gazette went and saw the dogs “Buddy” that was beat up and Diesel. These dogs were NOT aggressive, growling or baring their teeth. Matter of fact Buddy sat between my feet during the interview.
We also ask Lee County a question – “Since Progressive Waste Services is a contractor for Lee County do you as the county condone weapons such as baseball bats or other things on their trucks for self-protection?” The answer get back was “No Comment” by Betsy Clayton Lee County Government Communications Director.
Did the Progressive Waste Service Driver Adonis Rodriguez and his helper Leonardo Almauger commit animal cruelty under Florida Statue 828.12 (1) A person who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily mutilates, or kills any animal, or causes the same to be done, or carries in or upon any vehicle, or otherwise, any animal in a cruel or inhumane manner, commits animal cruelty, a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or both.
Why is the activity report from LCDAS in this case incomplete? Where are the original statement forms written on Spanish? The form in the file were translated from Spanish to English by Yoni Rivera, who is this person and who is this person employed by Progressive Waste Services?
Both statements are all most word for word the same why? Lt. Cruz with LCDAS who so called took these states should have known better.
We also asked Chaya Cooperberg Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications Progressive Waste Service the following questions and have NOT heard back on these:
Does Progressive Waste Systems have any company policies about carrying weapons or items that could be used as weapons on company vehicles including garbage trucks? And or is this policy in writing?
The second question the driver and the helper that day were they only one language speaking or they bilingual and can they read and write in English and Spanish?
And what is your company policy on single language employees and bilingual employees and what they can and cannot do?
These last questions have not been answered why?
What really happen? The Lehigh Acres Gazette does NOT believe the driver or the helpers statements, and the only truth so far is the dog was beaten with a baseball bat, and that bat should have ever been on the garbage truck in the first place. And that LCDAS did not do a thorough investigation. And that Progressive Waste Systems is somehow hiding something behind policies and procedures.
The one truth, as we know it, is that these dogs were out of the control of their owner. If you went to visit these dogs, in their own home, and they were docile, that is no proof that they did not behave in an aggressive manner when loose on the street with strangers and no owners around. Responsible dog owners do not put their pets in this type of situation. They keep them leashed as the Lee County leash law states. They must be leashed or contained by a fence or in a building. None of this could have happened if the owners had kept their dogs under control. I am a dog lover and in all my years of pet ownership I have never allowed my dogs to roam free.
The REAL issue is WHY the driver has a baseball bat instead of dog repellent
There is no way to justify this.Two wrongs do make anything right. The dog’s owner fully understands that he should have had the dogs leashed. There are too many inconsistencies in the driver (s) statements. First of all…how many people were on the truck? Which version do we choose to believe? Second…why are there statements from 2 occupants of the waste management truck wit almost word for word accounts of what happened. I have an idea…let the parents agree to taking statements from the children if the authorities want an accurate account of what happened. Why? It’s not in a child’s nature to lie and the children are the only ones who witnessed the beating. I want the Lee Count Sheriff,the prosecutor and the Lee County Director of Community Relations to explain why no charges have been brought against the perpetrator. As a former Law Enforcement Officer I have had connections contact me,including an FBI agent who said the driver needs to be charged with Animal Cruelty.
Interesting.. Had a similar issue about 20 years ago in Lehigh (different company then) my pittie came home limping on garbage day and my husband found a baseball bat in the road. (Obviously thrown at him). Dog ended up having surgery. I admit he should have been contained. He was very friendly and just loved to run the ditch along side the trucks. It was very isolated here back then. So obviously I’d assume its something that may be more common than we know.