A 59-year-old Northfield woman charged with animal cruelty after one of four dogs found in outdoor kennels on her property were found dead.
According to authorities, on March 6th, the Twp. of Hamilton Police Department responded to 1261 Scranton Avenue for an animal cruelty investigation.
Upon arrival, police found four dogs were residing in kennels outside of the residence. One of the four dogs was found deceased.
Officials say a necropsy was conducted by the New Jersey Animal Health Laboratory in Ewing. According to the Veterinarian Pathologist, the cause of death was congestive heart failure.
Initial attempts to contact the property owner were unsuccessful. Shore Animal Control responded and took possession of the three living animals.
The property owner, Kimberlynn Jurkowski, 59, of Northfield, was subsequently charged with four counts of Animal Cruelty and four counts of Abandoning a Domesticated Animal.
Assisting in the investigation were the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Shore Animal Control, the Atlantic County Animal Shelter, and the New Jersey Animal Health Laboratory.