Animal Cruelty Indictment Sought Against Dog Groomer In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A dog grooming employee in Alexandria was indicted by a grand jury Monday in relation to animal cruelty-related charges, including one involving a dog's death.

Kevin Sanders, 29, who works for Your Dog’s Best Friends at 2000 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty resulting in death and four animal-cruelty-related misdemeanor charges. He is being held without bond.

WTOP reported that an employee provided an anonymous tip on a dog death and other animal abuse incidents involving Sanders. After investigators obtained video footage from the anonymous person and the business, prosecutors say that evidence showed animal abuse happened between July 2024 and January 2025.

According to the report, the owner of the dog who died did not seek a complaint against the dog grooming business. Prosecutors believe the dog owner may not have been filly informed of what led to the dog's death.

Your Dog’s Best Friends owner Paul Haire responded to the allegations in a statement shared on social media. Haire said the business was aware of the dog death but just became aware of additional alleged cases because of the indictment.

According to Haire, a young golden retriever that Sanders was caring for died on the grooming table. A veterinarian determined the dog had a heart attack, believed to be from a congenital heart defect known as Dilated Cardio Myopathy. The owner says Sander was not immediately aware the dog was in distress, "because the dog appeared calm, in a semi-upright position, and did nothing to indicate discomfort."

"We were told by the examining vet that, despite our rendering CPR in which the staff receives certified training, nothing Kevin could have done would have changed the outcome of the heart attack," Haire shared. "Immediately before the heart attack Kevin struggled to control the dog. He failed to follow our protocol of taking a dog off the table when this occurs. That struggle, while not rising to the level made in the accusations against Kevin, may have caused the dog enough stress to pull the pin on the ticking time bomb."

After the dog death, Sanders was removed from grooming for several months of "no fear" safety protocol training before being allowed to resume limited duties.

Haire said the business has reviewed its protocols and is "confident in the professionalism and compassion of our staff."

"We continue to work closely with veterinarians and animal care professionals to ensure we uphold the best standards in our industry," Haire wrote. "We know how much trust you place in us when you leave your pets in our care, and that trust means everything to us."