Exercises in Structuring News Stories > Writing a brief using the inverted pyramid: "Dog Shoots Owner"

Write a 150-word brief in inverted-pyramid form based on the following set of facts. Assume the story is for Thursday morning's paper.

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1			Janice Jones is 53 years old and lives in Barstow, Calif., according to California Highway Patrol press liaison Tammy Rye. Rye said Jones was eating pork chops in the back of her motor home, which was parked on Beach Boulevard near Highway 1, when her dog knocked her 9 mm handgun off a seat. The weapon discharged when it hit the floor, and the bullet passed through Jones' leg and then through the side of the vehicle, according to Rye. "It could have been worse," Rye said. "The bullet hit 2 inches from the gas tank." Jones was shot in the right leg around 10 p.m. Wednesday, Rye said. Jones was transported to Huntington Beach Hospital via ambulance and later was transported to Irvine Medical Center, Rye said. Jim Washington, a spokesperson for Huntington Beach Hospital, confirmed Jones was treated at the hospital but gave no additional information. Jones' dog, a Pomeranian named Tombo, was placed in the care of Huntington Beach Animal Control officers. The dog seemed to be malnourished, according to Janet Ngo, one of the animal control officers, and had fresh cigarette burns on its forehead. "It could have done with a little less abuse and a few more of those pork chops," Ngo said, who indicated her office would explore filing animal abuse charges against Jones. Rye said officers cited Jones for expired plates and the county's district attorney's office was considering whether to charge her in relation to the gun accident. Jones doesn't have a permit for the gun, Rye said.