Attack on Dog Costs Neptune Man $2,000

A Neptune 27-year-old who admitted stabbing a dog in the chest is ordered to pay more than $2,000 in fines and restitution.

Altarik Cullun pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty Friday in a Monmouth County courtroom in Freehold. He admitted stabbing the dog in Asbury Park last December 15 during a heated confrontation with its owner.

The American Staffordshire Terrier was rushed to Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township, where staffers performed lifesaving surgery, according to Victor "Buddy" Amato, Chief Humane Law Enforcement Officer at the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).