A 39-year-old horse groomer pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge that he beat his dog with a stick after it ate his hamburger.

Gabriel Miguel Moreno, who did not have to appear in court for his arraignment, is charged with a single count of animal cruelty. His attorney, Peter Liss, said the behavior of the San Juan Capistrano man had been an "aberration" following a very long day of work.

"He's a really decent person and great with animals," Liss said.

At least 10 of Moreno's friends wrote letters to Liss in support of Moreno and said the dog, Bandito, had always appeared to be a happy companion to Moreno.

"They are animal lovers," Liss said of his client's supporters. "They wouldn't stand up for him if they thought he hurt the dog."

On April 26, a woman reported seeing a man use a eucalyptus branch to beat his dog in a horse stall at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. When she confronted him, he told her he'd hit the dog because it ate his lunch, according to authorities.

Moreno fled, but was arrested at the county Animal Shelter in Carlsbad when he tried to reclaim the Australian cattle dog two days later.