Falls Man Accused of Killing Girlfriend's Puppy

A 21-year-old Menomonee Falls man is accused of hurting his girlfriend’s two dogs to the point that one of the dogs died earlier this year, according to a criminal complaint.

Nickolas T. Magaw was charged Wednesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court with two misdemeanor counts of intentionally mistreating animals. If convicted, he faces up to 1-1/2 years in jail and $20,000 in fines.

The animal abuse was first reported after Magaw, who lived at a residence in Pewaukee with his girlfriend at the time, brought a Chihuahua to a veterinarian in mid-November. The veterinarian told police the dog’s injuries were not consistent with a fall down the stairs, which is what she had been told by Magaw, according to a complaint.

The Chihuahua had a bloody right nostril, a swollen and protruding eye with fluid build up and two fresh rib fractures. The X-rays also showed old fractures that had healed, according to the complaint.

The girlfriend told police they had broken up at a party and Magaw had gone home. He called her later to say the dog had urinated on him, so he dropped the dog down the stairs. Magaw also told investigators the same story, according to the complaint.

However, on Feb. 7, the same woman was still living with Magaw and her 7-month-old German Sheppard. Magaw had recently been laid off from work, the complaint states, and had been home when the girlfriend went to work in the morning.

Magaw eventually called her telling her that her puppy was sick. When she returned home, the puppy was lethargic. The dog died a day later, the complaint states.

Magaw was crying and upset, saying he would move out because it was the second time he ruined things by having her pets go through problems, she told investigators. The girlfriend told investigators that Magaw told her that he feels responsible, according to the complaint.

A necropsy was done on the German Shepherd. The report showed the dog died from a fractured rib that caused severe hemorrhaging in the lung. A veterinarian later determined the dog died from blunt force trauma to chest area, causing asphyxia, the complaint states.