An Oakland man has been charged with animal abuse for allegedly breaking the front legs of a Pomeranian puppy in front of its owner, the deaf 11-year-old daughter of his girlfriend, authorities said Friday.

Kem Eap, 31, of Oakland has been charged by Alameda County prosecutors with two felony counts of animal abuse after a 4-month-old puppy named Chloe was found with its two front legs broken on Feb. 20.

An anonymous caller told Oakland police about the incident. Police and animal-control officers found Chloe cowering underneath a television set inside an apartment on the 2000 block of Fifth Avenue near Lake Merritt. Eap was arrested the same day.

The female puppy, which weighs 4 pounds, was unable to use its front legs because both had been broken above the elbows, authorities said.

"It saddens me," said Oakland animal-control officer Nicole Frede. "I feel sorry for it because it's so innocent and sweet."

Eap is accused of breaking one of Chloe's legs on Feb. 18 and the other the next day. The puppy underwent surgery Wednesday at the Berkeley Dog and Cat Hospital and is being cared for at the home of a hospital technician.

Eap, who is deaf, is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $20,000 bail. He is to appear in an Oakland courtroom on Monday. Eap's attorney did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

Eap claimed that the dog broke its legs three weeks earlier after jumping off the bed, authorities said.

In an interview Friday, the girl said she didn't know why Eap would hurt her dog, which she got as a Christmas present.

"I'm mad at Kem. He tried to kill my dog," said the girl, whom The Chronicle is not naming because she is an alleged crime victim. She added that Eap apparently likes bulldogs, not Pomeranians.

Investigators were at a loss to ascribe a motive in the case.

"It's unknown what the motivation was," said Deputy District Attorney Eric Swalwell. "It's a dual tragedy for the puppy that was cruelly injured and for the girl who loved and cared for it."

Once Chloe heals - a full recovery is expected - and makes progress through physical therapy, the puppy will be available for adoption, said Adam Parascandola, Oakland Animal Services director.

Aurora Patino, the owner of the apartment complex where the incident occurred, said she had told the girl's mother, who is also deaf, that no pets were allowed. Still, "it's not right for somebody to do that to a little dog."

Donations for the puppy's care can be sent to Friends of the Oakland Animal Shelter at P.O. Box 3132, Oakland, CA 94609, or online at www.oaklandsanimals.org.