Pitbull Dog ‘Oreo’ Shoots, Injures Owner

A man in Memphis, Tennessee, was accidentally shot by his pet dog after the animal jumped on his bed and set off a loaded gun, police reported on Wednesday.

The incident occurred early Monday morning while the man was sleeping beside his female partner. He sustained a graze wound to his left thigh and was treated in the hospital.

According to the police report, the dog—a one-year-old pit bull named Oreo—“got his paw stuck in the trigger guard and ended up hitting the trigger.” The type of firearm involved was not specified, and the incident was classified as an “accidental injury.”

While gun-related incidents are common in the United States, cases involving animals firing weapons are rare.

Similar cases have been reported in the past. In 2022, a German shepherd accidentally shot and killed a 30-year-old man in Kansas after stepping on a hunting rifle. In 2018, a 51-year-old Iowa man was shot in the leg by his pit bull-Labrador mix.

Fox 13 Memphis cited the victim’s girlfriend, who was not named, saying she was asleep when the gun discharged.

“The dog is a playful dog, and he likes to jump around and stuff like that, and it just went off,” she reportedly said.

Reflecting on the incident, she advised, “Keep the safety on or use a trigger lock.”