Man dies in the US after being shot by dog

The incident has been described as a "hunting related accident"

A man died after being shot by a dog in Kansas during a hunting trip at the weekend, according to police. As reported by the state's outlet KWCH, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office said a preliminary investigation into the death of Joseph Smith shows that it was caused by his own dog stepping on a gun. Police stated that at around 10am on Saturday (21 January) deputies responded to reports of a man who was shot in the back. Smith, 32, was found near the hamlet of Geuda Springs, home to 194 people just north of the Oklahoma border, after the dog - believed to be owned by Smith - accidentally shot him. According to the sheriff’s office, Smith was sitting in the front passenger seat of a pickup truck when a dog stepped on a rifle in the back seat. This caused the gun to discharge, with the fired round subsequently striking Smith, who then died at the scene. [caption id="attachment_375530" align="alignnone" width="838"] Joseph Smith, pictured, from Wichita was found near the hamlet of Geuda Springs, 50 miles south of Wichita (Facebook)[/caption] The Sumner County Sheriff's office has described the incident as a "hunting related accident".

"A canine belonging to the owner of the pickup stepped on the rifle causing the weapon to discharge," the sheriff's office said. "The fired round struck the passenger who died of his injuries on scene."

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Smith's boss, Chris Brown, to raise funds for his family and help them with funeral costs. Brown described him as "the most unique individual I have had the pleasure of meeting."

"No matter how bad or stressful my or our day was, Joe always had something to lift our spirits," he added. "I have been a plumber for a long time and met many many different guys but never have I met another Joe and I am confident there may not be another."

At the time of writing, almost $9,500 of the $20,000 goal has been raised to "allow Joe's family to grieve without the burden of financial stress."

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