A Linwood man is accused of abusing a 4-month-old pit bull puppy who later died as a result.
But he insists he never harmed the puppy, and that he was trying to get it help.
Kyle Blythe, 23, did not seek medical treatment for the puppy, who suffered severe injury, according to the affidavit.
Instead, he dropped the injured animal at the home of a friend, who took the puppy to Absecon Veterinary Hospital, where it died.
But Blythe told BreakingAC that he brought the dog to a friend who worked at a vet's office to see if it could be saved.
"I loved that dog and spent thousands of dollars caring for it," he said. "The one time I tried to prevent spending the money, I get made out to be an animal abuser."
Blythe was arrested Dec. 10, and charged with third-degree animal cruelty.
He was released following a detention hearing Wednesday.
"It's a heinous crime, which is shocking to the court," Superior Court Judge John Rauh said. "It's not lost to the court that we're talking about a puppy."
Blythe said he could not comment on how the dog was injured, but insists he never hurt it.
"I have previously brought the dog to the vet multiple times for shots," he said. "Why was there no report of abuse then? Because there wasn’t any."
Blythe, who had "Free Kyle" written on his face mask, was released with conditions, including that he can have no contact with animals.
