Seaside Heights Man Indicted In Brutal Death Of Little Dog

An Ocean County grand jury has indicted a Seaside Heights man for animal cruelty after he was arrested in the beating death of his girlfriend's 10-year-old dog named "Booshu," Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said.

Nicholas Piccolino, 34, was indicted for one third-degree county of causing serious bodily injury and death to the Bichon Frise.

The dog was alone in the kitchen with Piccolino on the night of Aug. 19, 2016. Booshu's owner - who had been out at the time of the incident - called Seaside Heights police and told them Piccolino had killed Booshu.

An investigation by NJSPCA Det. Sergeant Larry Donato, with assistance from the Seaside Heights Police Department, determined that during Piccolino’s time alone with Booshu, a resident of the house upstairs heard several loud banging sounds and a dog yelping in the kitchen below, said Al Della Fave. a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office.

Shortly after, Piccolino notified the dog’s owner that something was wrong with her dog. Booshu’s owner found the dog dead on the floor of the bathroom. Piccolino claimed that Booshu “dirtied” herself in her crate and that while he was cleaning her up, he dropped her, Della Fave said.

Booshu was pronounced dead on arrival at the the Red Bank Animal Hospital. A subsequent necropsy performed on Booshu by Dr. Shannon Swist of the NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Lab found that Booshu suffered multiple blunt force injuries to her head and body which contributed to her death.

Donato brought his findings to Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Heidi Tannenbaum-Newman who approved third-degree charges of torment, torture, unnecessarily or cruelly beating a living animal resulting in their death. Bail was set at the time of his arrest at $35,000, Della Fave said.

Image: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office