Kwong (Tony) Chun Sit, of Irvine, pleaded not guilty Monday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 counts of animal cruelty, 11 counts of animal abuse by a caretaker, seven counts of attempting to destroy evidence and one count of destruction of evidence, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

A Southern California family was shattered to learn via text from their Irvine dog trainer that Saint, their Belgian Malinois puppy, had died overnight — a heartbreak that has turned to anger as they learned that eight other dogs also died in the trainer’s care on the same day.

Police allege the trainer and his girlfriend were tied to the deaths of at least 10 dogs. One of the dead dogs was identified as “Saint,” who had been adopted from the Baldwin Park