Man Shot By His Own Dog

A Pennsylvania man learned the hard way that “man’s best friend” doesn’t necessarily mean “man’s safest roommate.”

Listen to “Man Shot By His Own Dog” on Spreaker.

There are a million ways to end up in the hospital. Car accidents. Sports injuries. Slipping on ice. But getting shot by your dog? That’s a new one for most emergency room intake forms.

A Tail of Woe

On November 11, 2025, just after 11 p.m., Shillington Police Department received reports of a shooting at a residence on the 300 block of State Street in Shillington, Pennsylvania. The initial report indicated a 53-year-old man had suffered a gunshot wound to his back.

The dispatcher’s thought process probably went something like: Domestic dispute? Break-in gone wrong? Standard Tuesday night violence? While officers were en route to the scene, dispatch relayed an update that probably made everyone do a double-take: a dog had jumped onto the bed and set the gun off.

Somewhere in that police cruiser, an officer probably turned to their partner and said, “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?”

The Ruffest Night

When police arrived at the residence, they found the man on the floor, conscious despite his injury. The victim, his son, and two dogs were the only ones at the home. The son was not in the same room when the shooting occurred.

So the son wasn’t a witness. The only witnesses? Two dogs, neither of whom can testify in court. One of whom is technically the shooter. Good luck getting a conviction on that one.

The victim explained he’d been cleaning his shotgun and placed it on his bed. He then sat down on the bed, at which time one of his dogs jumped onto the bed, causing the weapon to fire a round into his lower back.

We’ve all made questionable decisions. Texting an ex at 2 a.m. Eating gas station sushi. Trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions. But leaving a loaded shotgun on your bed while you have dogs in the house? That’s a whole new level.

CSI: Canine Scene Investigation

Shillington Police Department Captain Michael Schoone noted that the victim was unsure what stage of cleaning he was in at the time. The exact mechanism of discharge remains unclear: the dog’s paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off, or there could have been some sort of manufacturer malfunction.

“Officer, I’m not sure what stage of cleaning I was in” isn’t something you should have to say… ever. Because if you are cleaning your gun, it should be unloaded. That’s kind of a no-brainer.

The investigation has to determine whether Fido’s paw hit the trigger or if the gun had a mechanical issue. Either way, this man’s dog has no idea he’s now got a criminal record. He’s probably wondering why dinner’s late and where his human went.

Emergency Veterinary Care (For Humans)

After paramedics arrived at the scene, the man was transported to a local hospital, where he immediately went into surgery for his injuries. The EMTs probably had to verify the story three times before they believed it. “Sir, can you confirm one more time who shot you? Your… dog? Your dog shot you? With a shotgun? Okay, just checking.”

Hospital staff informed police on November 13 that the man had undergone an initial surgery but would need an additional operation either on Wednesday or Thursday. According to police reports, the 53-year-old man is expected to survive.

Good news: he’s going to be fine. Bad news: he’s going to have to explain this story for the rest of his life. “So, what happened to you?” “Well, funny story…” And it will be. Every single time.

The Investigation Continues

The shooting appears to be accidental, but police are still investigating the incident. They’re treating it seriously, because firearms accidents are serious business. Even when they involve dogs with trigger fingers.

The police need to figure out the exact chain of events. Was the gun loaded during cleaning? If so, why? Was the safety on? Did the dog’s weight interact with the trigger? These are all important questions that will hopefully prevent future incidents of dogs playing with loaded firearms.

After this story hits the news, every gun safety course in America is going to have to include a line in their manuals that says, “unload your gun before cleaning it, especially if you have dogs”.

Man’s Best Friend With Extra Benefits

When you adopt a dog, you sign up for certain responsibilities. Feeding. Walking. Vet visits. You don’t typically sign up for them sending you to the trauma ward, but apparently that’s in the fine print somewhere.

The victim now has multiple surgeries ahead of him, a lengthy recovery, and a story that will define him at every party for decades. His dog, meanwhile, has no idea anything unusual happened. Dogs live in the moment. This particular moment just happened to involve accidentally pulling a trigger.

Police confirmed to ABC News that the extent of the man’s injuries as of November 14 remained unknown. Recovery will take time, physical therapy, and probably a very long conversation with his dog about boundaries.

The silver lining? At least he knows his dog didn’t do it on purpose. Dogs are loyal creatures. If your dog shoots you, it’s definitely an accident. If your cat shoots you, though, you might want to start sleeping with one eye open.

The Takeaway

Gun safety rules exist for a reason. Rule one: treat every gun as if it’s loaded. Rule two: never point a gun at anything you don’t want to destroy. Rule three, apparently: don’t leave loaded shotguns on beds occupied by animals with paws and no concept of trigger discipline.

This man will recover. His relationship with his dog will probably recover too, though dinner time might be a little awkward for a while. And somewhere in Shillington, Pennsylvania, there’s a dog who’s completely oblivious to the chaos he caused, probably wondering why his human isn’t around to throw the ball.

References

NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.