Acting Perak police chief Zulkafli Sariaat said the 44-year-old man was released on bail after being charged on Dec 23 at the Taiping magistrates’ court, Bernama reported.

“The suspect was released on the same day after being charged in court,” he said in a statement today. Zulkafli said police arrested the man at about 4.30pm on Dec 22, the day of the incident, and seized a bow and five arrows.

Selama police were previously reported to have said the suspect, a clerk at an oil palm estate, had claimed that the dog, named Kutty, was always annoying him by constantly chasing and barking at him.

The dog was usually at the guard post of another estate, where the workers would feed it daily, district police chief Sarudin Samah said, according to The Star.

“On the day of the incident, the suspect was on his way home after a wedding dinner, when the dog started to chase his car.

“The suspect went home, parked his car, and came out again on his motorcycle looking for the dog. The suspect claimed it was dark, and had no idea whether the arrow he shot hit the dog,” Sarudin was quoted as saying.

Animal rights group Persatuan Haiwan Terbiar Malaysia, which posted on Facebook about the dog’s death, called for a thorough investigation as animal cruelty was an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2015.