The sudden death of a South Jersey veterinarian is being investigated as a homicide, officials announced Wednesday. Michael Anthony, 45, was found dead outside his home in the east Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill around 7 a.m. Tuesday, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported. A neighbor told the station they heard screaming before spotting Anthony’s body outside the home, but police have not publicly stated Anthony’s cause of death. The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed Wednesday that authorities are considering the case a homicide and searching for Anthony’s killer, according to NJ.com. Anthony was a veterinarian with a private practice in Haddon Heights. He previously worked at Newkirk Family Veterinarians in Egg Harbor Township. “Dr. Anthony was with us for quite some time before venturing out and following a dream — starting his own practice in Cherry Hill, New Jersey,” Newkirk Family wrote in a Facebook post. “His love and passion for animals and veterinary medicine was undeniable. We are all shocked and deeply saddened by this news.” Anthony graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine after completing an undergraduate degree in psychology at Dartmouth University, according to his biography. “Very friendly and very caring,” Anthony’s friend Jan Lindquist told local NBC affiliate WCAU. “He loved the animals. You could just tell he loved what he did.”