A dog walker has been left “terrified” after his furry friend stumbled across a rifle hidden in a bin bag.
Matthew Mellor-Smith was completely dumbfounded by his pooch’s discovery.
The 39-year-old, from Golcar, Huddersfield, immediately notified police, taking the weapon down to his local station the same day.
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He says the discovery could’ve been a lot more dangerous had a child stumbled upon the rifle.
Jess, a two-year-old Border Terrier, was filmed making the shocking find, which has racked up an impressive 17,000 views.
“We were out checking over a potential new site for one of our heritage projects,” the builder and carer for Tekken Care Heritage told Need To Know.
“Jess suddenly stopped and started sniffing at something hidden in the grass.
“At first, I thought she’d just found a bit of scrap metal – then I realised it was actually a gun.
“It was a proper shock moment.”
Matthew took the weapon to his local police station after the discovery on 28 October 2025 to ensure it had been handed in safely.
In the clip, Jess is shown sniffing and rummaging around under a brick wall.
A black bin bag appears to be the object she’s focusing on, as Matthew picks it up – and reveals a rifle.
He added, “Jess stayed calm throughout it all; she’s a really steady, clever dog.
“And always sticks by me on jobs.
“The officers took it from there, and I just felt relieved it was safely out of the way and no one got hurt.
“[I’d hate to think] if a child had found it and armed police had turned up.
“It would have potentially been a tragedy, that’s all that was running through my mind.
“Jess – our local hero.”
According to local reports, the gun had been examined and found to be decommissioned and not a viable firearm.
