Man Violently 'Kicked,' 'Punched' Girlfriend's Pet Dog Repeatedly Because He Was 'Jealous' Of It

A man in Woodbury, Minnesota, was charged with animal cruelty Thursday for repeatedly kicking and punching his girlfriend’s pet dog because he was jealous of the canine.

According to the criminal complaint, three-year-old Ziggy’s owner called police from an animal hospital earlier this month after she was informed by a doctor that the canine was suffering from “serious injuries consistent with abuse.” The unidentified owner told the police the canine had abrasions on its chest, front legs and a puncture on its left chin. The dog also had lacerations on its tongue and lip and fractured teeth.

“[Nicholas D. Schmidt] Schmidt has expressed his jealousy toward Ziggy for most of the relationship, and the two would often fight about how much time she spends with Ziggy,” the complaint said.

In early September, Schmidt had called his girlfriend to inform that when he got home, he found “Ziggy stuck under a stand that holds a fish tank.”

“Ziggy’s head had been pushed through a metal hole in the stand. … Ziggy was bleeding from his nose and his leg was in extreme pain when his back was touched,” the complaint stated, adding that Schmidt told her it looked like “someone broke into the apartment and did this to Ziggy.”

Later that month, the woman took the canine to the vet upon noticing that the animal was urinating blood. The vet said the canine had a bruise on its lower back and abdomen and also a chipped tooth. The vet informed her that the old injuries were “consistent with abuse.”

On Oct.1, Schmidt called his girlfriend and told her the dog was injured again. He also sent a video showing “Ziggy lying on the floor in a pool of blood and in obvious pain.” When she rushed the canine to the animal hospital, the vet again informed that the injuries were consistent with abuse. The woman then told her boyfriend that she was ending the relationship and informed police about the abuse.

During police interrogation, Schmidt admitted that he used “his fists to punch and hit Ziggy, as well as to kicking Ziggy, He admitted he kicked Ziggy on September 4, 2019, and during the following week. Schmidt acknowledged that he punched Ziggy repeatedly on October 1, 2019.”

Woodbury Police Cmdr. John Altman said, “It is horrible that the dog had to go through such an ordeal. Pets are members of the family. The dog’s owner trusted her boyfriend to be caring and loving as she is, but unfortunately, she was deceived.”

Meanwhile, Schmidt was charged with three counts of mistreating animals-torture with his bail set at $150,000 without conditions, or $100,000 with them. He was scheduled to appear in court Nov. 18.