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The dogs Lieben (left) and Cimo: shot by a hunter
Photo: H John Voorhees III/AP
Authorities in the US are accusing a hunter of killing and skinning two German Shepherds.
Michael K. claims to have mistook the pets of a Connecticut family for coyotes.
The 61-year-old from New York state said he was ashamed of his actions during a hearing in Danbury Superior Court. "I want to assure you that this morning I had no intention of harming the victims' pets." The man was arrested in February.
He is accused, among other things, of manipulating evidence and violating hunting laws.
Dogs escaped through damaged fence
According to police, K. killed the two dogs with a crossbow in November after they escaped from the family's garden.
The owners said the fence may have been damaged by a bear.
They had been looking for the animals - a female named Lieben and a male named Cimo - for weeks and were heartbroken about what had happened to the animals.
K. was hunting nearby.
He claimed to have killed two coyotes.
According to the New York Post, his lawyer spoke of a "hunting accident" and said the man had skinned the animals for their fur.
Hunting coyotes is legal in Connecticut.
However, the public prosecutor's office doubts that K. actually did not realize that the animals were dogs before he skinned them.
The 61-year-old is due to appear in court again next month.
bbr/AP