Winchester police say the mysterious death of a pet dog in the town forest Monday was the result of an accidental impalement on a tree branch, not a gunshot, as initially reported.

The dog’s owner told authorities he was walking his pet off-leash around 6:30 p.m. when he heard a gunshot and found the dog wounded, police said in an initial statement. According to police, the owner reported hearing a second gunshot about 15-20 minutes later.

After searching the area with the aid of a ballistics K-9 and enlisting a veterinarian to conduct a necropsy on the dog, however, Winchester police confirmed that the dog had been impaled by a tree branch.  

“We believe the dog owner heard a loud noise, similar to a gunshot, at the same time that his dog was out of sight,” the department said in an update Tuesday night. “The wound sustained by the animal appeared visually similar to a gunshot.”

Winchester police said there is no concern for public safety.