CEO Caught on Camera Hitting & Choking Dog, Employer Now Investigating

This jerk of a dog owner, who happens to be a CEO, went off on his pet inside his condo building, and the attack was all caught on surveillance video.

Jeffrey Previte, CEO of an environmental consulting firm in L.A., seemed to lose his mind as he snapped on the dog last month in a hallway of his Santa Monica building. The disturbing video shows Previte entering from a parking garage, and when the dog starts to pee ... Previte suddenly yanks it by the collar, then drags it outside before slapping and choking it.

The poor animal didn't retaliate against its owner's cruel behavior.

One of the building's front desk attendants heard the dog crying, and decided to review the surveillance footage. He told the Daily Mail, which first reported the story, he was horrified by what he saw ... and told Previte he would report the incident to management.

For his part, Previte says he doesn't think he did anything wrong, and certainly not anything illegal -- but he also claims the attendant who busted him tried to get money from him in exchange for keeping it quiet.

The attendant claims his manager didn't take his report about Previte seriously. However, building management told Daily Mail, "The apparent conduct of the unit owner was abhorrent and completely unacceptable. Building management stands behind our employee and we took swift action including contacting animal control and directing the resident to cease all contact with our employee."