The incident took place Saturday in the Northland region when the dog accidentally stepped on the trigger of the .22 rifle and ended up firing at his 40-year-old owner.The injured man was among a group of four who had just killed and butchered a domestic pig. They were climbing into a SUV to leave when the gun went off, New Zealand Herald reported Tuesday.
The man was flown to Whangarei Hospital.

Senior Constable Ian Anderson said the man was lucky not to have been more seriously injured.He said: "It should be standard procedure to ensure the bolt and ammunition are removed before transporting a firearm."