A Pennsylvania man is recovering after police say one of his dogs accidentally set off a shotgun and shot him in the back.
The viral incident happened late at night on November 11 in Shillington and has drawn attention from multiple outlets as investigators work to confirm exactly how the discharge occurred.
Police said the 53-year-old resident had been cleaning his shotgun before placing it on his bed. The firearm went off moments later, and officers were told a dog had jumped onto the mattress at the time of the blast. The man’s son was home during the incident and called for help. First responders found the victim conscious on the floor before transporting him to Reading Hospital for surgery.
According to People, the shooting took place shortly after 11 p.m. in the 300 block of State Street. The man has not been publicly identified, and police have not released an updated condition. Officers confirmed multiple dogs were inside the home at the time.
Dog accidentally shoots owner
Investigators are still determining how the weapon discharged. Shillington Police Sgt. James Schoone said, “It’s unsure 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.”
Schoone added, “Obviously, you should be treating every weapon as if it’s loaded. You know, all the cardinal rules: keeping it in a safe direction, finger off the trigger… 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.”
While this dog may have accidentally fired a gun, not all pets handle weapons so poorly. Earlier in 2025, a dog in Peru was hailed as a hero after she stopped a stick of dynamite from exploding outside her family’s home.
