⚠️WARNING⚠️The article contains details some of you may find distressing⚠️
On the morning of October 7, 2024, Officer Naik with the Grand Junction Police Department received an anonymous tip about a puppy who was being abused at a home on 2930 Highway 50.
According to the affidavit obtained by Voice For Us, the tip revealed that 23-year-old RYAN MICHAEL KIECKHAEFER (pictured), “was severely abusing and torturing a three-month-old Pitbull puppy at the property over a period of two weeks.”
The tip further advised that KIECKHAEFER was using fentanyl (a potent synthetic opioid drug) before torturing the puppy. The affidavit identified the furvictim as a gray Pitbull puppy named Nova.
The reporting party provided a video which Officer Naik reviewed. This revealed KIECKHAEFER inside the garage of the home in question, pulling Nova with a leash towards the security camera. In the video KIECKHAEFER “can be heard making statements out loud, but Officer Naik was unable to understand what he is saying due to the audio quality.”
The video goes on to show KIECKHAEFER raising the leash with his hand, causing the collar to pull against Nova’s neck. This action lifted Nova off the ground, forcing all her weight against the collar. At this point, while Nova is in the air, KIECKHAEFER swings her back and forth by the leash, and Nova can be heard whimpering throughout.
KIECKHAEFER then starts spinning the leash while hanging Nova in the air, causing the leash and collar to wrap tighter on Nova's neck. The furvictim can be heard whimpering louder as KIECKHAEFER starts to spin the leash. At one point, KIECKHAEFER spins Nova rapidly before releasing the leash, causing Nova to fall to the floor.
Nova appears to be understandably scared and is cowering. Her rear is lowered and she walks slowly towards KIECKHAEFER with her tail very low to the ground. KIECKHAEFER then immediately yanks the leash up, causing the collar to pull against Nova's neck again. KIECKHAEFER bends over and pulls Nova to his face and says something to her. He proceeds to strike Nova's small head with the handle of the leash while continuing to hang her in the air.
After reviewing the video, Officer Naik and Officer Tafoya responded to the given address and made contact with Mrs. Kieckhaefer, KIECKHAEFER's mother.
Mrs. Kieckhaefer revealed to the officers that she was the one who submitted the tip and the video and advised that she had many more showing KIECKHAEFER's behavior and actions towards Nova. Mrs. Kieckhaefer also said that her husband witnessed their son physically throwing Nova to the ground on October 2, 2024, and that prompted them to review their house surveillance video.
Mr. Kieckhaefer told the officers that one of Nova's teeth was permanently damaged, as a result of their son using pliers to break the tooth. He then went to get Nova and showed her tooth to the officers.
When Officer Naik returned to the station, he reviewed additional videos that Mrs. Kieckhaefer provided.
The affidavit contains only a summary of the actions that Officer Naik saw KIECKHAEFER committing toward Nova between September 25, 2024, and October 2, 2024.
In more than one video, KIECKHAEFER was seen pulling Nova by a leash, and then quickly yanking the leash in the air, causing Nova to hang with the collar pulling on her neck. KIECKHAEFER can also be seen quickly spinning the leash around, causing the collar to tighten upon the neck.
In other videos, KIECKHAEFER can be seen restraining Nova by a leash and collar and forcefully spraying her with a garden hose. KIECKHAEFER did this on several occasions at night and during the day. As Nova tried to walk away, KIECKHAEFER grabbed the leash, pulled her in, and continued to spray her. Nova can be heard whimpering while this happens.
Additional videos showed KIECKHAEFER holding Nova on the ground and spraying the hose directly into her face and ears.
One of the officers reported: “From watching multiple videos, it can be observed that Nova is aware of what is going to occur when Ryan picks up the garden hose, based on previous actions from Ryan. Nova sits very still and does not want to approach Ryan while he is holding the hose, to the point where Ryan has to physically pull Nova closer to him. There is a video where Ryan places Nova in a dog kennel, and then walks into the kennel and continues to spray Nova with the garden hose.”
A video from the evening of September 25, 2024, showed KIECKHAEFER in the yard of the home throwing Nova against a metal chain link fence by the leash.
In the video he holds Nova by the leash and the poor soul can be heard whimpering. KIECKHAEFER then walks Nova into the backyard where he suspends her in the air by the leash before dropping her to the ground and forcefully holding her there.
The video goes on to show KIECKHAEFER grabbing a garden hose with which he repeatedly strikes Nova as she was crying in pain.
KIECKHAEFER was not done and continued to torture Nova by spraying her at close range and later unmercifully spraying her while she was helplessly hanging in the air.
On the same evening, at a different time, a video caught KIECKHAEFER throwing Nova by the leash, hanging her in the air by the leash while violently spraying her in the face. At some point, KIECKHAEFER holds Nova to the ground and sprays the hose directly into Nova's small mouth.
On the evening of October 7, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for KIECKHAEFER. He was taken into custody and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
Online arrest records show that KIECKHAEFER is being held in the Mesa County Detention Facility.
KIECKHAEFER’s next court date is set for October 15, 2024, at 8:15 a.m.
Although Mesa County District Attorney Daniel P. Rubinstein provided me with a copy of the arrest affidavit, he declined to share Nova’s pictures as this is a pending case.
A response to my email from the Grand Junction Police Department advised that Nova “sustained serious injuries” and she is still with the Kieckhaefers.
Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the affidavit provided to Voice For Us. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.
KIECKHAEFER’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office
