CRUEL

Hunter Who Skinned Family’s Dogs Says He Mistook Them for Coyotes

Michael Konschak now faces charges for killing the two German shepherds.

A hunter who killed and skinned a Connecticut family’s pet dogs is now facing criminal charges, according to officials. Michael Konschak, 61, admitted to killing and skinning two dogs in November and said he believed they were coyotes. Prosecutors say the slain dogs were actually 10-year-old German shepherds that belonged to the Caviola family. The hunter now faces multiple charges, including tampering with evidence, forgery, interfering with a law enforcement officer, and hunting-related violations, according to officials. A Connecticut judge also denied Konschak’s application for “accelerated rehabilitation,” a program for first-time offenders that could allow the charges to be erased. The Caviola family responded to the news on their Change.org petition calling for Konschak’s application to be denied, writing, “Please keep sharing and signing this petition but AR HAS BEEN DENIED!!!” Konschak will next appear in court in April.