Man pleads not guilty to killing mastiff puppy

WEST BRANCH - A 39-year-old West Branch man accused of killing his girlfriend's new Old English mastiff puppy in January entered a written plea of not guilty Thursday.

Chadwick D. Schultz faces charges of animal abuse and animal torture, both aggravated misdemeanors, after police say he became heated during an argument with his girlfriend on Jan. 2 and killed her dog.

According to a criminal complaint, Schultz's girlfriend locked herself in a bathroom during the couple's argument and heard her 7-week-old puppy yelping in pain through the door. When she came out, according to the complaint, the woman found her puppy - a Christmas gift from her brother - dead on the floor next to Schultz, she told investigators.

When the woman yelled at Schultz, according to the report, he responded, “It was an accident.” The puppy, weighing about 14 pounds, had reportedly been “healthy, sturdy and happy.”

Schultz left the Johnson County Jail in January after posting a $2,500 cash bond. A trial date has not yet been set.