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ALEXANDRIA, Va — A former dog groomer convicted of felony animal cruelty in the death of a dog at a Del Ray boarding facility was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison, with three years suspended, leaving two years to serve.
Kevin Sanders received the sentence on a Class 6 felony conviction tied to the death of a dog named Abigail at Your Dog's Best Friends, a boarding and grooming facility at 2000 Richmond Highway. He also was sentenced to 12 months on each of four Class 1 misdemeanor convictions, with all of that time suspended, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said.
The court ordered Sanders to report June 25 to begin serving the prison term.
The suspended time is conditioned on two years of supervised probation, two years of good behavior, a cognitive behavioral evaluation and any recommended treatment, and anger management. Sanders also is barred from owning animals or holding any job involving animals and is prohibited from contacting the victims.
Sanders pleaded guilty in February to the felony charge in the death of Abigail, a 3-year-old golden retriever who died July 12, 2024, while in his care. A judge found him guilty of four misdemeanor charges for abuse of other dogs at the facility, where he remained employed after Abigail's death, based on seized video evidence.
According to a statement of facts filed by the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Sanders grew frustrated while grooming Abigail and handled her in a way that caused a grooming tool around her neck to choke her. A veterinarian who reviewed the surveillance video concluded the dog was substantially mistreated and that the mistreatment led to her death, the document states. The four misdemeanor counts stemmed from separate incidents in October and December 2024 in which Sanders was recorded mishandling other dogs.
The facility's owner, Paul Haire, offered a different account after Sanders' arrest. In a July 2025 Facebook statement, Haire said a veterinarian who examined Abigail attributed her death to a heart attack caused by a congenital heart defect and found no sign of trauma or asphyxiation. Haire acknowledged Sanders had struggled to control the dog and failed to follow a protocol requiring him to take her off the table, which Haire said may have caused enough stress to trigger the defect. Sanders later pleaded guilty to the felony charge and was found guilty on all four misdemeanors.
The case began Dec. 13, 2024, when an anonymous former employee delivered a complaint and a USB drive of video to the league's animal shelter, alleging that dogs were being abused and that management was allowing it to continue. With support from the Alexandria Police Department, investigators executed a search warrant Jan. 24, 2025, and seized more than 640 video files totaling over 600 hours of footage. A grand jury certified the charges, and Sanders was arrested July 21, 2025.
In a statement, the league thanked its officers, prosecutors, law enforcement, veterinary professionals and advocates, and extended sympathies to the victims, saying it hoped the outcome would offer a measure of closure. The league urged pet owners to research grooming, boarding and sitting services before choosing a facility.
Ryan Belmore
Ryan Belmore
