A man who hunted stray dogs has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for accidently killing another man with a poison crossbow dart in Jiading district, the local court said Thursday.

The defendant, whom the court called Zhou Ming, used the darts to hunt stray dogs around Shanghai and Jiangsu Province, which he then sold for their meat, according to a press release from the Jiading District People's Court.

Last July, Zhou left one of the darts on the street while hunting in the district, the court said. Another man, who was not identified, picked up the dart and began arguing with Zhou about his activities.

The dart contained drugs that could cause someone to suffer serious heart problems.

It remains unclear how, but during the argument, the dart ended up stuck in the other man's head, according to the press release. Zhou called the police, and the victim was taken to a hospital, where he died after receiving emergency treatment.

Zhou had killed more than 10 stray dogs in Shanghai and Jiangsu Province that day, the court said.

Because Zhou turned himself in and paid restitution to the victim's family, the court charged him with the lesser crime of endangering public security.