DreamWorks Animator Accused of Beating and Stealing Dog

A 40-year-old DreamWorks animator, who is credited on films such as "Kung Fu Panda," "Bee Movie" and "Madagascar 2," recently pled not guilty to beating a neighbor's muzzled dog with a hammer, an incident that was captured on video.

It is alleged that the defendant climbed the fence into his neighbor's back yard where a young German shepherd was muzzled but untied.  He then shot the dog with a pellet gun, and returned with a hammer and began chasing and striking the defenseless animal until it lay senseless.  Surveillance camera video shows the beating, however, the dog is missing and presumed dead.

He has been charged with one felony count of cruelty to an animal and one misdemeanor count of petty theft of a dog with a special allegation of personal use of a deadly weapon. If convicted, he could face more than four years in prison.