FULLERTON : Not-Guilty Plea Is Issued in Dog’s Death

An attorney for Robert Steven Sakall, charged with killing his neighbor’s dog, entered a not-guilty plea Friday for his client but said Sakall probably won’t fight the charges at a jury trial.

Sakall, 39, was charged in July after Dylan, a family dog living nearby, was found dead from heat exhaustion.

According to Fullerton police investigators, Sakall said he taped the animal’s muzzle shut to keep it from barking, but argued that he never intended to kill it.

The 5-year-old golden retriever, who was then unable to pant, overheated to 108 degrees and died.

Attorney Robert Tuller said he received a report Friday from the Probation Department that gave recommendations for what sentence Sakall might receive if he entered a guilty or no-contest plea.

He called the report “very favorable.”

“It is not our intention to try the case,” Tuller said. “It is our intention to dispose of it by pleading no contest.”

Tuller argued that Sakall’s statements to police were improperly taken and would not be allowed in court as evidence of a confession.

He would not confirm police statements that Sakall had admitted guilt.

But Tuller said that “if we plead no contest, we will have admitted to some role in the dog’s death.”

Tuller said Sakall, who did not appear in court, is undergoing back surgery.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephan Sauer said he will use Sakall’s confession, but believes the man did not intend to kill the dog.

Sauer said he will seek a mix of jail time and community service for Sakall, who faces up to a year in jail on the misdemeanor charges.

Any community service would be related to animals, Sauer said.

The dog’s death, which took place in a quiet north Fullerton neighborhood, shocked many in the community.

Police Chief Patrick McKinley said he told his detectives to pursue the case “like a homicide.”

The court set a pretrial date of Dec. 20 and set a jury trial for Jan. 10.