--- description: The video shows a utility worker striking the dogs in their owner's backyard. title: Contractor Caught On Camera Hitting Dogs With Wrench image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Contractor Caught On Camera Hitting Dogs With Wrench by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2016 11:35 PM CUT by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2016 11:35 PM CUT Surveillance footage captured a Texas contractor [swinging a pipe wrench at a family’s two dogs](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-contractor-attacked-family-dog-with-wrench-20160412-story.html "undefined") while in their backyard in March. Mike Willcox, the owner of the dogs, posted the footage to Facebook, which quickly went viral, gaining some [1.2 million plays online](https://www.facebook.com/mike.willcox.71/videos/10153678536945889/ "undefined"). Wilcox says he was outraged after his 4-year-old son watched the contractor for local Houston utility CenterPoint Energy attack dogs “Flash” and “Shutter” with a metal pipe wrench, according to a report by the Chicago _Tribune_. **Warning: graphic content – viewers may find the following footage disturbing** A CenterPoint Energy spokesman say that they are [conducting an investigation](http://www.khou.com/news/local/boss-defends-employee-caught-on-camera-striking-dogs/128956631 "undefined") and that the utility worker was employed by a subcontractor hired to disconnect the Wilcox’s service during non-payment, according to local station _KHOU_. Wilcox told _KHOU_ that his vet bills totaled some $2,000\. One of the dogs suffered a laceration under it’s left eye, a swollen, infected jaw and a concussion and the second dog is suffering from breathing problems. “I don’t think my dogs ever had a chance,” [Willcox told the Houston _Chronicle_](http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/kingwood/news/article/Dogs-beat-with-pipe-wrench-by-CenterPoint-worker-7241262.php "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4292732/contractor-caught-on-camera-hitting-dogs-with-wrench/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4292732/contractor-caught-on-camera-hitting-dogs-with-wrench/"},"headline":"Contractor Caught On Camera Hitting Dogs With Wrench","datePublished":"2016-04-13T23:35:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T16:42:56.652Z","description":"The video shows a utility worker striking the dogs in their owner's backyard","url":"https://time.com/4292732/contractor-caught-on-camera-hitting-dogs-with-wrench/","keywords":["Texas","Social Media","animals","facebook"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel White","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-white/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4292732/contractor-caught-on-camera-hitting-dogs-with-wrench/","name":"Contractor Caught On Camera Hitting Dogs With Wrench"}}]}] ```