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October 20, 2009

Ormond man charged in puppy's abuse
By PATRICIO G. BALONA
Staff writer

An Ormond Beach man bought a puppy over the Internet and then beat and slammed it against a wall because the animal soiled his living room floor, police said.


It's not the first dog Nicholas Ulsch has abused, Ormond Beach police said.

Ulsch, 41, of Oak Brook Drive was arrested Saturday and charged with intentional animal cruelty for abusing the mixed brown Labrador puppy he bought on the Web site Craigslist, a police report states.

According to the report, Ulsch said he spanked the dog hard on Friday because the dog angered him by defecating in the living room. Ulsch picked up the dog by the collar and repeatedly slammed it against the wall, police said. The dog suffered eye and leg injuries.

A witness told police the puppy is Ulsch's fourth dog in two months and that two of the dogs mysteriously disappeared while a third ran away because Ulsch beat the dogs, the report states.

The puppy was taken to Halifax Humane Society for medical attention by an animal control officer, police said.

Ulsch said he did not mean to hurt the dog that bit him and scratched his carpet and couch.

"I feel guilty for what I did," Ulsch said.

Ulsch was released from the Volusia County Branch Jail on Saturday after posting $1,000 bail.