Man Shot by His Own Dog With Shotgun: ‘He’s a Good Dog’

In an incident that is somehow somewhat common, a man is claiming he survived being accidentally shot with a shotgun by his own dog, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News this week. Perhaps unsurprising to anyone who’s ever owned a dog, however, is the fact that the pup’s owner says he’s still a good boy.

Sonny “Tex” Gilligan, a 74-year-old resident of Doña Ana County in New Mexico, said that the incident occurred October 25 while he was hunting with the alleged four-legged shooter, Charlie, and his two other dogs, Scooter and Cowboy. Gilligan told the paper that his 120-pound Rottweiler mix accidentally fired the shotgun through the driver’s seat of his truck, ultimately hitting him and resulting in several serious injuries.

“Charlie got his foot in the trigger of the gun and I leaned forward and he slipped off the seat and caught the trigger — and it shot,” Gilligan told the paper. “It was a freak accident but it’s true, that’s what happened.”

Per the Las Cruces Sun-News:

The shotgun — in the backseat of the pickup, along with Charlie — fired through Gilligan’s front driver’s seat. The bullet went through Gilligan’s back, breaking a few ribs and shattering his collar bone, and caused other, severe injuries.

Gilligan said he initially thought someone from outside the vehicle had shot him, but soon realized the shot came from his own gun.

The incident is reportedly being handled as an accidental shooting. Doña Ana County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Jameson told ABC News that the shotgun was “positioned in the truck with the barrel facing up, towards Mr. Gilligan,” who she said “had placed his gun in the floorboard of the truck with the butt of the gun on the floorboard.”

Gilligan was able to get to his phone—which he told ABC News he doesn’t normally carry when he’s hunting—and contact emergency services. He’s had several procedures and remained in critical condition this week but was expected to recover. Gilligan maintains that the incident was an accident.

“[Charlie] did not mean to do it,” Gilligan told the site. “He’s a good dog.”

They’re all good dogs.