Dog stabbed, throat slit Holland Township, NJ (US) Incident Date: Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007 County: Hunterdon Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: George Kerr

Case ID: 12420 Classification: Stabbing Animal: dog (non pit-bull) View more cases in NJ (US) Login to Watch this Case

A school custodian distraught over a pending divorce is now facing criminal charges because he slit the throat of a family dog and buried it in a shallow grave behind his home, authorities said.

George Kerr, 50, was charged with one count of third-degree animal cruelty and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose after police said Kerr told his wife "he took care of" one of the family's two dogs by slicing its neck and stabbing it in the ribs.

Authorities described the slain dog, named Annie, as a black Labrador mix.

Kerr's wife, Laura, told authorities that upon her return from work Wednesday afternoon, she came across her husband kneeling in the backyard � an unusual sight because Kerr's schedule as a custodian at Hunterdon Central Regional High School normally keeps him out of the house until 11 p.m.

Laura Kerr also grew suspicious when Annie did not greet her when she walked into the home and when Kerr couldn't spot the animal outside, according to court documents.

The other dog remained in the home unharmed, police said.

Feeling uncomfortable, Laura Kerr grabbed her sneakers and dashed out of her Mount Joy Road home within two minutes, authorities said.

From there, Laura Kerr contacted local police, who escorted her back to the home that night. When Laura Kerr arrived, her husband "said he took care of her in reference to Annie," according to a police affidavit.

Kerr was then transported by police to the Hunterdon Behavioral Health facility at Hunterdon Medical Center. Once criminal charges were lodged against him, Kerr was arrested and taken to Hunterdon County Jail in default of $15,000 bail, which included a 10 percent option.

A jail official said Kerr remained in custody Friday afternoon. When released, Kerr may not have contact with his wife, according to court documents.

Kerr may have been driven to commit the crime because the couple were beginning divorce proceedings and were in the process of selling their home, court documents show.

Laura Kerr had explained to her husband that she would be taking the other dog and three cats with her to a new apartment after selling the home, authorities said. Laura Kerr told police she planned to keep Annie at the nearby Hunterdon Humane Animal Shelter until she found a place to house both canines.

When reached at the family home Friday, Laura Kerr declined comment.

Deputy Chief Dan Hurley, spokesman for the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office, said an investigation revealed Kerr "had made no threats directly to his wife, any other family members or anyone in the general public."

Still, Hurley said the offense "involved a defenseless animal who was viciously killed."

According to a domestic-violence expert in Hunterdon County, killing an animal � or similar acts of violence � may be a form of coercion or a twisted attempt to gain control of a relationship.

"In domestic violence we call it the cycle of violence," said Nancy Connor, executive director of SAFE in Hunterdon, a crisis-services organization. "It escalates, and the cycle of violence sometimes gets to where abusers threaten to harm pets, personal property, threaten to harm the children, as well as the victims in violence. So, that's all part of the pattern of abuse and escalation. That's a very common theme we see in domestic violence at SAFE in Hunterdon."

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The Home News Tribune - Oct 13, 2007

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