A Morgan Hill man was arrested after he was seen dragging his
bleeding, half-conscious, cancer-stricken dog along a downtown
sidewalk, police said.
A Morgan Hill man was arrested after he was seen dragging his bleeding, half-conscious, cancer-stricken dog along a downtown sidewalk, police said.
Someone called police about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday to report an unknown man dragging a dog by the animal’s collar and leash near the intersection of Monterey Road and Second Street, according to Sgt. Jerry Neumayer.
A witness told police the dog was being dragged while lying on its side, and it appeared to be “half dead.”
When police arrived they saw a man they recognized as Kevin Fifield, 59 of Morgan Hill, pulling the dog along the paved sidewalk as the dog lay motionless on its side, Neumayer said.
Officers repeatedly told Fifield to stop, but he told police it was none of their business and he picked up the dog, and continued walking. The officers then stepped in front of Fifield, but he clenched his fists and threatened to kill one of the officers, Neumayer said.
Police grabbed him to try to stop him and retrieve the dog, and a struggle ensued as Fifield resisted the officers, Neumayer said. He was eventually subdued and placed in handcuffs.
The dog, an 11-year-old, 25-pound canine named Snowflake, went into seizures while officers were at the scene, Neumayer said. The city’s animal control officer transported Snowflake to a local veterinarian. Her paws were bleeding, and her nails were ground down from being dragged on the pavement.
Snowflake also suffers from cancer, and was diagnosed with a high fever, Neumayer said. The dog, an Australian cattle dog, was in serious condition as of Thursday morning.
Fifield was booked into county jail on suspicion of cruelty to animals, resisting arrest and threatening an officer, Neumayer said.
Fifield has a history of contact with local police, most notably in a 2005 standoff at his Morgan Hill home, in which he threatened to kill officers and himself. The standoff ended peacefully and without injuries. He was also arrested June 18 on suspicion of petty theft at Walmart in Cochrane Plaza.
