A hunter in Connecticut is facing criminal charges for allegedly killing and skinning two pet German Shepherds that he mistook for wild coyotes.
Michael Konschak reportedly struck the two dogs with a crossbow while hunting in November 2022, before skinning them for their pelts.
Konschak claimed that he mistook the pups for coyotes when he fired at them, but the dogs’ family has stated that the pets were missing for weeks after escaping from their yard in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
The family had put up fliers of the dogs around the area and searched for them constantly. A bear is suspected of tearing part of the fence down.
The dogs were both 10 years old and named Lieben and Cimo. The owner, Erin Caviola, said that the dogs’ heads were removed and are still missing.
Konschak has been charged with tampering with evidence, forgery, interfering with a law enforcement officer, and hunting-related violations.
He was arrested in February and appeared in court on Wednesday, where he said the killings were a “case of mistaken identity” and argued that it was a hunting accident.
However, prosecutors noted that once the dogs were dead, it was clear they were pets since Cimo was neutered and Lieben had a hysterectomy scar.
Konschak is a respiratory therapist and US Air Force veteran.
The dogs’ family and animal rights activists are calling for animal cruelty charges to be added.
Konschak’s attorney argued that the incident was “a hunting accident,” but the judge denied a special probation program that would have tossed the charges.
The investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be added. Erin Caviola remembered the two dogs as “members of our family” that “gave us joy.”
»Connecticut hunter faces criminal charges«
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