Pennsylvania Man Shot by Dog After Gun Mishap

A Pennsylvania man is recovering after his dog inadvertently shot him in the back with a shotgun, police say. The incident took place Tuesday night in Shillington, where officers responded to a report of a shooting and found the 53-year-old victim conscious but wounded on the floor, reports ABC News. The man told police he had been cleaning his shotgun and set it on the bed. He then sat down, at which point one of his dogs jumped onto the bed, apparently triggering the firearm. "He's not sure what stage of cleaning he was in at the time, so it's [unclear] if the dog's paw may have gotten caught inside the trigger and the safety was off," or if there was perhaps a malfunction," Cpl. Michael Schoone tells WFMZ.

The Berks County man was struck in the lower back, cops say. Paramedics transported him to nearby Reading Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, reports WHP. Police said he was expected to need at least one more operation, though it's not known exactly how badly he's hurt, ABC notes. The Shillington Police Department described the shooting as accidental but noted that the incident remains under investigation. "Obviously, you should be treating every weapon as if it's loaded," Schoone says.