A Long Island man who allegedly confessed to setting his pit bull on fire for attacking another dog pleaded not guilty to aggravated animal cruelty Tuesday.

Suffolk County police say Derick Phanord, 22, confessed to chaining his pit bull to a tree, dousing him with gasoline and setting him on fire after he attacked a puppy in Phanord's home.

"He seemed remorseful for what he had done," Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives Dominick Varrone said of Phanord.

Following his arrest Monday night, Phanord was arraigned Tuesday in First District Court in Central Islip on one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty for the dog's death, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a weapon and driving without a license.

During the brief hearing, Phanord's lawyer entered not-guilty pleas on his client's behalf to the misdemeanor counts and a general denial to the allegations in the felony complaint.

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The Suffolk County SPCA took in the pit bull and named him Maximus after finding him tied to the tree the night of July 12. Sixty percent of his body was covered in second-and third-degree burns and he had sustained wounds in his mouth, which resulted in the loss of his canine and incisor teeth.

Less than a week later, Maximus died from his injuries, prompting members of the community to fund a $20,000 reward for information leading to the animal's attacker.

Police began monitoring Phanord after receiving a call from a tipster and arrested him Monday night for driving with a suspended license. He was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree after police allegedly found a nightstick in his vehicle.

After being taken in for questioning, Varrone said Phanord admitted to the vicious attack.

Phanord, who has previous convictions for harassment and marijuana possession, allegedly told police that he had owned the dog he called "Spike" for a month when he became fed up with his aggressive behavior.

"The dog was a problem. It would snap and growl at various family members, including a puppy pit bull that the defendant already owned," Varrone told CourtTVnews.com.

The tipping point came on July 12, when Maximus clamped his mouth over the puppy's head and would not let go. According to Varrone, Phanord attempted to open the pit bull's jaw by dousing him with bleach and gasoline.

By the time Maximus finally released the puppy, Phanord was so "incensed" that he decided to get rid of the dog, at the urging of his mother and sister, Varrone said.

He then allegedly took the 2-year-old dog to a wooded area, tied him to a tree, doused him in more gasoline and set him on fire.

While Phanord awaited arraignment Tuesday, the Suffolk County SPCA removed the younger puppy from the Brentwood home Phanord shared with his sister and mother.

A judge ordered Phanord held on $50,000 bond. His next court appearance is Friday.