A woman has been arrested on charges she used a shovel and claw hammer to fatally beat her family’s dog, then bragged about it, authorities in New Jersey said.

Mercer County prosecutors say 19-year-old Hightstown resident Michelle Wankoff faces several counts, including animal cruelty and tampering with evidence.

The charges stem from an investigation that began when Hightstown police got a tip that Wankoff had bragged about killing and burying the 9-year-old mixed-breed dog.

Authorities say Wankoff tried to poison the dog with various medications late last month. When that failed, they say, she repeatedly hit the dog on the head with a shovel and claw hammer until it died.

After storing the dog’s body in a small refrigerator in her bedroom for a few days, Wankoff buried the animal in a shallow grave in the woods near her home, authorities said.

State examiners will conduct a necropsy on the dog.

Prosecutors said a friend of Wankoff’s was cited for tampering with evidence because he helped Wankoff bury the dog.

A telephone number for Wankoff couldn’t be found Monday. It isn’t clear if she has an attorney who could comment on the charges.