Killed dog he mistook for coyote

A NEW Jersey family was howling with grief after their dog was shot to death by a crossbow-toting hunter who mistook the pet for a coyote.

Elizabeth Mongno said she was walking her 1-year-old Alaskan Shepherd Tonka (pictured) when the dog chased a deer into the woods behind her house in Readington Township, NJ.com reported.

She later heard a yelp — and found her pooch on the ground about 50 feet away from her property line.

“Who killed my dog?” she screamed, NJ.com reported.

State officials identified Tonka’s killer as Romeo Antonucci, a coyote hunter from Kenilworth.

Antonucci faces charges of careless discharge, damage to property and a deer-tagging violation, said a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection spokesman.

He is a licensed hunter and had permission to be in part of the wooded area, but not where Tonka was shot.

Mongno disputes Antonucci’s claim that he mistook her pet for a coyote, citing the dog’s white color, large size and the fact that the dog was wearing a collar.

“This guy isn’t a hunter, he doesn’t represent hunters. He represents bad decision-making,” Mongno told NJ.com.