Dog Pulls Trigger, Injures Owner in Freak Firearm Incident

On November 14, 2025, a 53-year-old man in Shillington, Pennsylvania was shot in the back by his own shotgun in a freak accident involving his pet dog. According to the police, the man had been cleaning the firearm and set it down on the bed when the dog jumped up, causing the gun to go off and strike the man.

Corporal Michael Schoone of the Shillington Police Department told a local news station that the man was unsure of the exact stage of the cleaning process, so it's unclear if the dog's paw got caught in the trigger or if there was some kind of manufacturer malfunction. "It looks like it was an accident, but it's still being investigated," Schoone said.

The injured man was taken to Reading Hospital for treatment, though his current condition is unknown. The police have not released any further details about the suspected "shooter" - the dog - such as its name or breed.

This unusual, dog-involved shooting incident has been recorded by the Gun Violence Archive as one of the 1,156 accidental or negligent discharges of firearms in the United States so far in 2025. Similar freak accidents have occurred in the past, with dogs accidentally firing guns and injuring their owners.