The plea hearing for the Morgan Hill man accused of dragging his
sick dog down a paved sidewalk was delayed Tuesday.
The plea hearing for the Morgan Hill man accused of dragging his sick dog down a paved sidewalk was delayed Tuesday.
Kevin Fifield, 59, is charged with one count of felony animal cruelty and two counts of felony resisting or deterring an officer.
His scheduled plea hearing Tuesday at South County Courthouse was continued to Sept. 7, according to Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Amy Cornell.
He is out of custody and is represented by the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s office.
Fifield was arrested the afternoon of July 27, when someone called police to report that he was dragging a dog by her collar and leash on the sidewalk near Monterey Road and Second Street, police said. The witness told police the dog appeared to be “half dead.”
When police arrived, Fifield told them the situation was none of their business, and he picked up the dog – an 11-year-old, 25-pound Australian cattle dog – and continued walking, police said. Officers stepped in front of him to stop him, and Fifield threatened to kill at least one of them.
Fifield struggled briefly before officers were able to subdue him, Sgt. Jerry Neumayer said.
The dog was transported to San Martin Animal Hospital by the city’s animal control division. The dog, named Snowflake, has cancer and was diagnosed with a high fever. Her paws were bleeding because her nails had been ground down on the pavement due to being dragged.
Snowflake is still sick and has been returned to the suspect’s wife, Neumayer said Wednesday. However, he said the dog is “not any better or worse due to the cancer.”
If convicted on all charges, Fifield faces a maximum prison sentence of four years, four months.The San Jose man accused of repeatedly molesting a female juvenile in Morgan Hill was in court for a plea hearing, which was postponed Tuesday.
