An Alexandria man charged with felony animal abuse was granted bail on July 24 (Thursday), despite objections from the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Kevin Malik Sanders was granted a $10,000 bail on personal recognizance and goes to court for a three-day jury trial starting Feb. 2, 2026, according to the Alexandria Clerk of Court. The 29-year-old was arrested on July 21, 2025, after the death of a three-year-old Golden Retriever named Abigail at Your Dog’s Best Friends (2000 Richmond Highway) on July 12, 2024. He was charged with four Class 1 misdemeanors and one count of felony animal abuse. The Commonwealth’s Attorney released allegations of abuse in an effort to keep him behind bars (see below).
Sanders was released July 31, according to the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office.
“While a firearm was not used in the commission of these offenses, the defendant’s demeanor towards these animals shows that he does not need a weapon to be dangerous,” Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Ashtyn McDaniel said in her motion. “He chose to treat these animals this way as they were defenseless on a grooming table. There is nothing to say that his actions would not be repeated against other animals, or humans.”
An anonymous former employee at the animal boarding facility reported the incidents to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s (AWLA) Animal Services team. The Commonwealth’s Attorney argued that Sanders is a danger to the community, and that he has three misdemeanor convictions on this record — petit larceny in 2014, obstruction of justice in 2016 and trespassing in 2018.
Paul Haire, owner of the facility, said that he was unaware of abuse.
“I was not aware of any incidents of abuse and they were never brought to my attention,” facility owner Paul Haire told ALXnow. “If they were, he would have been fired on the spot.”
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney:
On Dec. 13, 2024, an anonymous report was sent to Alexandria Animal Control, detailing animal abuse that occurred at Your Dog’s Best Friend, a pet grooming, day-care, and boarding facility located at 2000 Richmond Highway. The report included multiple videos that depicted an employee and groomer of the business, named Kevin Danders. The Defendant was identified by Animal Control after speaking with the anonymous reporter, who is a former employee of the business. The defendant is depicted on video surveillance footage committing heinous, inhumane, and cruel acts against companion animals that were left in the care of this facility, and specifically in the care of the defendant.
On July 12, 2024, the Defendant groomed a large blond Golden Retriever named Abigail. The Defendant became frustrated with Abigail as he was grooming her. He began to forcefully shove her, while holding her in a manner that caused the grooming tool around her neck to choke her. At one point during the attack, the defendant placed Abigail in a headlock position, choking her with his left arm. After repeating this behavior, and visibly causing Abigail severe distress, he allowed her to choke herself to death with the grooming tool that the defendant wrapped around her neck. Abigail becomes lifeless and is later pronounced deceased by a licensed veterinarian. At the time of her death, Abigail was three years old and in good health.
In another incident, on Oct. 21, 2024, the Defendant groomed a large brown companion dog. As he was grooming this dog, he grabbed the dog by its neck and slammed the dog into the wall and various other objects in the grooming facility, as he dragged the dog across the floor. When the dog fell to the ground, the Defendant became frustrated because he tripped over the dog. After he tripped over the dog, he picked it up and threw it aggressively into a nearby crate.
On Oct. 28, 2024, the Defendant groomed a large brown and white companion dog. He bathed the dog and placed it on the grooming table. As he groomed the dog, he used the grooming tool in a manner that purposely choked the dog. He also grabbed the dog by its face and forcefully pushed it. When the dog later fell off the grooming table, he allowed it to hang by the grooming tool, causing the tool to choke the dog as it dangled in the air. The defendant then forcefully pulled the dog using the grooming tool, dragging it by its neck.
On Dec. 18, 2024, the defendant groomed a large blond companion dog, resembling the breed of a Golden Retriever. As he was grooming the dog, the defendant aimed the nozzle of the blow dryer directly in the dog’s face. The dog became distressed and visibly struggled to breathe. The defendant grabbed the dog by its neck, and proceeded to forcefully push the dog, and engaged in the same repeated behavior of taunting the dog with the blow dryer.
On Dec. 31, the defendant groomed a medium-sized brown companion dog. The dog begins to become distressed, and the defendant grabs the dog aggressively by its neck and begins to yell and point in its face. The defendant pushed the animal forcefully, multiple times.
The defendant has made statements to law enforcement about these incidents. The defendant is not remorseful for these events, and feels that he was justified by his actions, specifically when he was grooming Abigail on July 12, 2024.
