NJ man charged with animal cruelty for shooting, killing pitbull

READINGTON — A 30-year-old township man has been charged with animal cruelty after shooting and killing a pit bull that he said was aggressive.

Township police responded on Aug. 12 at 1:30 p.m. to a property at Route 523 and Flemington Whitehouse Road, where there was a report of a weapon fired, prosecutors said.

Readington Township (Google Maps)

The property owner, 30-year-old Kalli Hartman told officers that a pitbull had begun attacking another dog.

She and 30-year-old Craig Cooke, also of Readington, believed the dog was being aggressive towards Hartman, so Cooke shot the dog, police said.

Readington Township (Google Maps, Canva, Townsquare Media Illustration)

On Thursday, Cooke was charged with second-degree possession of a weapon and third-degree animal cruelty.

Ownership of the pit bull was not immediately clear, as police cited the active investigation.

Any potentially relevant information regarding the investigation can be shared with the Readington Township Police Department at 908-534-4031.

LOOK: Longest-living dog breeds

To find out the longest-living dog breeds, Stacker examined data from the journal Genetics and American Kennel Club's 2023 breed popularity rankings.

Gallery Credit: Sophia June

These are 12 best NJ companies to work for

Forbes has issued its list of Best Employers By State 2024, put together with market research firm Statista. Employees were surveyed about their own companies of 500 or more, plus places worked recently. Five of the top 15 additionally have headquarters in NJ.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt