A Memphis man was accidentally shot by his own dog after the pet triggered a loaded firearm while jumping on the bed, local police confirmed on Wednesday.
The bizarre incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning as the man lay asleep beside his female partner.
He sustained a graze wound to his left thigh, which was treated at a hospital.
According to a police incident report, the one-year-old pit bull, named Oreo, got its paw stuck in the trigger guard, unintentionally discharging the weapon.
Authorities recorded the incident as an “accidental injury”, though details regarding the type of firearm involved were not disclosed.
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While gun-related incidents are common in the United States, cases involving pets firing weapons remain rare.
However, there have been similar incidents in the past. In 2023, a German shepherd in Kansas fatally shot a 30-year-old man after stepping on a hunting rifle, while in 2018, a pit bull-Labrador mix shot its 51-year-old owner in Iowa.
The Memphis victim’s girlfriend, speaking to Fox 13 Memphis, recalled the shocking moment.
“The dog is a playful dog, and he likes to jump around and stuff like that, and it just went off,” she explained.