Former Alexandria Dog Groomer Found Guilty Of Animal Cruelty After Dog's Death

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An Alexandria man pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty this week after authorities said he strangled a dog to death while he was employed at a local animal boarding and grooming facility.

Kevin Sanders, 30, also pleaded guilty to four counts of misdemeanor animal abuse on Wednesday after video evidence showed him harming other animals at Your Dog’s Best Friends, located at 2000 Richmond Highway in Alexandria.

With his plea, Sanders waived his right to a jury trial for strangling a 2-year-old golden retriever named Abigail, according to an ALXnow report.

"We are immensely thankful that justice has been served," the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said in a statement. "While no legal outcome can undo the harm done or the heartbreak experienced by the families of the affected animals, this guilty plea represents an important step toward accountability for all parties involved.

Sanders was arrested in July 2025 following an investigation into his actions while employed at Your Dog’s Best Friend. The investigation began months earlier when an anonymous former employee of Your Dog’s Best Friends provided authorities with video evidence of abuse and Abigail's death at the facility in July 2024.

In court, video surveillance footage of Sanders’ grooming station showed him roughly handling dogs, choking them and picking them up by their necks, ALXnow reported.

According to authorities, the abuse took place between July 2024 and January 2025 and involved a total of five dogs.

AWLA officials said investigators reviewed more than 640 video files, totaling over 600 hours. AWLA also helped secure search warrants and coordinated with Alexandria police officers on the case.

Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced next week and faces up to five years in prison for the felony animal cruelty charge and up to 12 months in jail for each of the misdemeanor charges.