Kuala Lumpur: A mechanic pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court in Ipoh today to a charge of beating his pet dog with a sledgehammer last month.
Hew Kan Wai, 42, made the plea after the charge was read in Cantonese before Judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason.
He is accused of striking a male mixed-breed Pit Bull with a sledgehammer, causing injuries, at 8pm on January 18 in front of a house at Persiaran Tasek Timur 1 in Taman Ria, Kinta.
The charge falls under Section 29(1)(a) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 (Act 772), which carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Qurratu’aini Khalifah proposed bail at RM20,000, but defence lawyer M. Kathan from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) sought a lower amount, citing Hew’s financial constraints.
Kathan said his client, a motorcycle mechanic earning RM2,000 a month, is the sole provider for his wife, mother, two children, and four nieces and nephews.
The court set bail at RM2,500 with one surety and ordered Hew to report to the police at the start of each month until the case is concluded.
The case is scheduled for mention on March 11 for document submission and legal representation.
Earlier, media reports said that police arrested a man after a video of him hitting his pet dog with a metal rod went viral on social media. Hew allegedly claimed he acted because the dog had bitten him.
