Hew Kan Wai, 42, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason.

Hew was accused of cruelly striking a male mixed-breed pit bull with a sledgehammer in front of a house in Taman Ria at about 8pm on Jan 18.

The charge, framed under Subsection 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 772), carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, or imprisonment for up to three years, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Qurratu’aini Khalifah offered bail at RM20,000 with additional conditions at the court’s discretion.

National Legal Aid Foundation lawyer Kathan Maruthamuthu, representing Hew, requested for a lower bail, citing his client’s RM2,000 monthly income and financial burden.

He said Hew’s wife is unemployed, and he supports two children as well as four schoolgoing nieces and nephews.

The court set bail at RM2,500 and ordered Hew to report to the nearest police station monthly until the case is resolved. The next mention was fixed for March 11.

On Jan 20, Ipoh police chief Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said a mechanic was arrested for allegedly beating his pet dog with a hammer after being bitten.

A 43-second video of the incident, recorded by a resident, went viral last month on the Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better Facebook page.