Animals

Memphis man says he was shot by his dog while lying in bed

The victim was taken to a hospital in noncritical condition in the early Monday accidental shooting.

Pitbull
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The dog was a pitbull puppy named Oreo, NBC affiliate WMC of Memphis reported, citing the family of the victim. 

A man sustained a gunshot wound when his dog accidentally fired a gun by jumping on a bed this week in Memphis, police said.

The Memphis Police Department responded to a home in the Frayser neighborhood just before 4 a.m. Monday morning, according to NBC affiliate WMC of Memphis.

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The man told officers he was lying on his bed with a friend when his dog jumped onto the bed and its paw got stuck in the gun’s trigger guard, police said according to WMC. The pet ended up hitting the trigger, the gun went off and the man was grazed in his left thigh, police said. 

The dog was a pitbull puppy named Oreo, WMC reported, citing the family of the victim. 

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The man's friend left the home after the gun went off and took the gun with her when she left, the man told police. 

The victim was taken to the hospital in noncritical condition. Shell casings were also found on the floor of the front room. 

Tennessee does not have any state laws requiring firearm owners to lock their weapons or store them in a certain way. However, Memphis police encourages people to keep their guns locked at home and offers free gun locks at precincts.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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