Andrea Fiegle
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A Haleiwa woman pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge that she killed her dog last month in her home.
Andrea Fiegle, 36, will go on trial July 8 before Circuit Judge Randal Lee. She is free after posting $11,000 bail.
An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment May 2 charging Fiegle with felony cruelty to animals.
Police said Fiegle told them she cut her pet dog’s throat with a 12-inch kitchen knife at her Paalaa Road home April 29 after losing her temper. She said the dog kept sniffing at her daughter’s "private area" and didn’t listen to commands to stop.
Deputy Prosecutor Chastity Imamura said last week that Fiegle’s 9-year-old daughter told police that wasn’t what happened. The daughter also told police her mother hit herself in the head with a rock just before killing the dog, Imamura said.
Fiegle did not speak during her arraignment Thursday before Circuit Judge Richard Perkins.
After the court hearing, Fiegle told reporters there "are lots of things being said that is wrong" and that she believes she "has been set up."
She said she is concerned about the welfare of her daughter, whom Child Protective Services placed in a foster home, and that she saw scratches and bruises on her daughter.
Fiegle said she has been able to see her daughter only a few times.
"I don’t understand what is going on," she said. "I have no one to talk to."
The Department of Human Services issued a statement saying, "The Child Welfare Services Branch of the DHS is aware of Ms. Fiegle’s allegations and will take appropriate steps to investigate and assure the safety of the minor child." DHS said it cannot disclose details of any case.