A Kingston man is charged with poisoning his dog with fentanyl before stabbing it to death.

Jonathan Paluzzi, 44, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Plymouth District Court to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of fentanyl, a Class A controlled substance. The judge ordered that Paluzzi undergo evaluation over 20 days at Bridgewater State Hospital.

Paluzzi is due back in court on Feb. 16.

At around 1 p.m. Wednesday, a caller from an apartment complex at 1 Kingston Collection Way, which matches the address for The Point at Kingston, dialed 911 to report some kind of disturbance, according to the Plymouth District Attorney’s office.

According to the DA’s statement, the caller told police that “shuffling, crying, a dog whining and yelling and then sudden silence” could be heard from a neighboring apartment.

Responding officers would find the body of Brutus, a 60-pound bull terrier mix, inside the indicated apartment as well as a cigarette pack containing a powder they believed to be fentanyl, according to prosecutors. Police allege that Paluzzi got the drug, unsuccessfully poisoned Brutus with it and then stabbed the dog to death before leaving the apartment.

Police arrested Paluzzi when he returned during their presence.