Woman is charged with slitting dog's throat during argument with fiancé in Union Beach


By MaryAnn Spoto/The Star-Ledger
January 25, 2010, 11:55AM

UNION BEACH -- A Pennsylvania woman was charged with animal cruelty and a weapons offense after authorities said she slit a dog’s throat Sunday night during an argument with her fiancé.

Michele Milford, 35, of Scranton, Pa., was being held in the Monmouth County jail in Freehold in lieu of $10,000 bail, said Victor Buddy’’ Amato, chief animal cruelty officer for the Monmouth County SPCA.

Amato said Milford and her fiancé, who had both been drinking alcohol, argued during a party at his family’s Prospect Avenue home. During the dispute, she went into a laundry room and slit the throat twice of the family’s dog, a nearly two -year-old Jack Russell Terrier named Penelope, he said.

Amato said the wounds went from ear to ear on the dog.

While waiting for authorities, partygoers tried to slow the bleeding by pressing T-shirts and other items of clothing to the dog’s neck, he said.

The dog was rushed to the Red Bank Animal Hospital where she was scheduled to undergo surgery today.

Amato said Milford used a push knife, a two-inch blade with a T-handle designed to be grasped in a fist so the arrow-like blade protrudes from between the knuckles.

Amato said he did not know the reason for the argument.

"They had a heated discussion and the dog was the subject of the overflow,’’ Amato said. "The dog was brutalized and the dog had nothing to do with it.’’

The charges against Milford are fourth-degree indictable offenses. The animal cruelty charge would be upgraded to a third-degree offense, punishable by a possible jail sentence, if the dog dies from her injuries, Amato said.

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