A man in Memphis was accidentally shot by his pet dog after the animal jumped onto his bed and triggered a loaded firearm, police reported on Wednesday.
The victim, who was asleep beside his female partner, sustained a graze wound to his left thigh in the early hours of Monday. He was treated at a hospital and later released.
According to the police incident report, the dog, a one-year-old pit bull named Oreo, inadvertently set off the gun after its paw got stuck in the trigger guard.
Authorities did not specify the type of weapon involved but classified the case as an accidental injury.
While gun-related incidents are common in the United States, cases involving animals discharging firearms are rare. In 2023, a German Shepherd in Kansas fatally shot a 30-year-old man after stepping on a hunting rifle. Similarly, in 2018, a 51-year-old Iowa man was shot in the leg by his pit bull-Labrador mix.
The Memphis incident adds to the unusual list of firearm accidents involving pets, highlighting the risks of unsecured weapons in households.
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