Pair arraigned in case related to dog's death

BARNSTABLE -- Two women who are suspects in the beheading of a pit bull were arraigned yesterday on charges of threatening the dog's owner.

Rebecca Clancy and Kelly Hayden, who operate a kennel in Mashpee, were arrested Wednesday after a 22-year-old woman told police they threatened her after she found her dog's severed head in a tin on her car last week. They pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of threatening, intimidating a witness, and assault .

Hayden and Clancy, both 24, are suspects in the beheading of the dog, according to court records, but have not been charged in the dog's killing.

The dog owner told police that Clancy and Hayden were supposed to be watching her dogs, Nitrous and Nala, last week when Nitrous's head turned up on the hood of her car. She said Clancy had threatened to kill her dogs if she didn't pay her $15,000 for damage she had caused to Clancy's Jaguar when she borrowed the car and crashed it.

First Assistant District Attorney Brian Glenny said Clancy and Hayden are charged with attempting to intimidate the woman because she is a witness.