Seaside Heights Man Allegedly Beats Small Dog To Death

Nicholas Piccolino of Seaside Heights is facing third degree charges of torment, torture, unnecessary torment, torture and unnecessarily or cruelly beating a living animal resulting in their death.

Police were called on August 19th around 10pm. NJSPCA Detective Sgt. Larry Donato determined that while Piccolino was alone with Booshu, a 10-year-old female bichon frise, another resident living in the home was upstairs and heard "several loud banging sounds and a dog yelping in the kitchen below."

Piccolino told the dog’s owner that something appeared to be wrong with the animal. The owner then found Booshu dead on the floor of the bathroom. Piccolino told her that the dog "dirtied" herself and that as he was attempting to clean her off, he dropped her.

The dog was rushed to Red Bank Animal Hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. A necropsy showed that Booshu had suffered several blunt force injuries to both her head and body and those injuries contributed to the dog’s death.

Police continued the investigation, speaking to witnesses and reviewing the necropsy report. Piccolino was arrested on the cruelty charges and transported to Ocean County Jail in default of $35,000 bail.