Hobbs, the mixed breed Labrador retriever-bloodhound, still is on the mend after he was beaten last week with a board that had nails in it.

The man who reportedly admitted the beating to police will face trial, a district judge ruled yesterday.

Anthony Ansill, 25, yesterday waived his right to a preliminary hearing on one count of animal cruelty.

He will remain in custody at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic until it is determined that he is competent to leave, according to Jolene Miklas, a spokeswoman for Animal Friends, the North Hills shelter where Hobbs has been recovering.

When Mr. Ansill is released from Western Psych he will be fitted with a monitoring device and placed under house arrest as he awaits trial, Ms. Miklas said.

If convicted, Mr. Ansill could face up to two years in jail or a psychiatric institution.

Humane officers from Animal Friends who have been working on the case attended the hearing at which Mr. Ansill was represented by a public defender.

Hobbs was left with a 12-inch gash in his chest after the July 18 beating at the Waite Street apartment in Arlington that Mr. Ansill shared with Shawn Lea.

Mr. Lea told police he had left his dog in the care of Mr. Ansill for a short time. When he returned, he found Mr. Ansill petting the dog as it bled from the open wound. He immediately suspected Mr. Ansill was to blame and called 911.

Mr. Ansill told investigators that he had not taken the animal outside to relieve itself, so the dog did its business inside the apartment.

Angered by the mess, Mr. Ansill, who told police he has a history of psychiatric problems, struck Hobbs with the nail-laden board.

Pittsburgh police responded and contacted Katie Waters, a humane officer with Animal Friends.

The dog was stitched and bandaged at the Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Ohio Township and later was taken to a recovery room at Animal Friends.

Ms. Miklas said Hobbs is doing very well and his health steadily has improved. She said he will be put up for adoption after he makes a full recovery.

Today, Hobbs is to be placed in "foster care," where he will finish recuperating with an Animal Friends volunteer, she said.

Ms. Miklas said many people have expressed an interest in adopting Hobbs and, though the public is not allowed to visit him, he's received numerous get-well cards and toys.

Lisa and Joe Sobek, whose family owned Hobbs until about three months ago, say they would take him back in a heartbeat.

The Sobeks, who live in Jefferson Hills, adopted Hobbs from the Western Pennsylvania Human Society in 2006, but were forced to give him up in May when their 2¹/₂-year-old son Noah began suffering from a severe kidney condition. Mrs. Sobek also was ill, and between her problems and her son's, there wasn't enough time or energy to devote to caring for a dog, so the Sobeks gave Hobbs to a cousin.

Noah had surgery to repair his kidney last month and Mrs. Sobek recovered from her illness, but the family heard virtually nothing about Hobbs or his situation with the cousin until last week when Mrs. Sobek caught his story on TV news.

The Sobeks don't know Mr. Lea or Mr. Ansill and have no idea how Hobbs came to live in Arlington, mostly because the cousin they gave him to won't return their phone calls.

Mrs. Sobek says she would never have given Hobbs away unless they absolutely had to, and that she's heartbroken about what has happened.

"There hasn't been a moment that has gone by [this week] that this hasn't consumed my life," she said. "I would hope, I would pray that [Hobbs] would come back to us. He knows us and we know him."

Ms. Miklas said the Sobeks can adopt Hobbs from Animal Friends after he recovers, but they will have to submit to the same adoption process as anyone else.

"We just want to make sure [the Sobeks'] situation has changed enough that they can provide a stable home for Hobbs," she said.

She also said that the Humane Society and Animal Friends both require adopters to sign an agreement saying they won't give the adopted pet to anyone else, and that they will return the pet to the shelter if they decide they can't keep it.