A man in Pennsylvania experienced a surreal accident when he was unintentionally shot by his own dog.
Late Tuesday night, while cleaning his shotgun at his home in Shillington, Berks County, the man placed the loaded firearm on his bed and sat down. At that moment, one of his dogs jumped onto the mattress, causing the shotgun to fire, with the blast hitting the man in the lower back.
Two dogs were present in the home, and the man’s son, who was also there, called 911, as reported by WFMZ.
Emergency responders arrived to find the man conscious on the bedroom floor, and he was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for surgery.
According to ABC News, after paramedics assessed the situation, the man was transported to the hospital where he underwent immediate surgery for his injuries. On Wednesday, hospital staff informed police that the man had completed an initial surgery but would require another operation either that day or the following day. The extent of his injuries remains unclear as of Thursday, police confirmed to ABC News.
Authorities noted that the man’s son was not in the room when the dog accidentally discharged the weapon.
Shillington Police Department Cpl. Michael Schoone described the incident as a “perfect storm,” stating, “While they were responding, they were informed that a dog had jumped up onto the bed, causing the shotgun to go off, which ultimately struck the male.”
He added, “He’s not sure what stage of cleaning he was in at the time, so it’s uncertain if the dog’s paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off, or if there was some sort of manufacturer malfunction. That’s unknown at this time.”
Cpl. Schoone emphasized the importance of treating every firearm as if it’s loaded, adhering to all safety protocols, and noted, “This was, like you said, it’s the perfect storm. You know it was just the right place at the right time, or the wrong time.”
Authorities discovered a spent shell casing in the weapon, confirming that it discharged during the cleaning process. The incident is currently under investigation and is being treated as accidental.
