A Cumberland man facing animal cruelty charges following a BC SPCA investigation pled not guilty Thursday at the Courtenay courthouse.
His lawyer, Robert Yeo, entered the plea on his behalf, and a one-day trial will be set.
Lee Wood was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada after allegedly hitting the dog, a black female shih tzu named Treasure, with such force that the dog had to be euthanized because of the severity of her injuries.
Treasure, who was owned by Wood’s mother, suffered severe blunt force trauma and sustained fractures and hemorrhaging to the skull and neck in the attack on June 9.
The trial date will be set by the judicial case manager. If convicted, Wood faces a maximum fine of $10,000, a jail term and a potential lifetime ban on owning animals.