In two separate instances, two dogs out for a walk with their owners were reportedly electrocuted on a Northwest D.C. sidewalk. Neither dog survived.
Both incidents happened Monday on 19th Street NW near M Street, just a couple blocks south of Dupont Circle.
In a statement, Pepco said crews conducted an inspection of the site and “confirmed there is no stray voltage in the area and the area is safe.” Stray voltage refers to cases where manhole covers, streetlights or even metal fences become electrified.
Despite ruling out stray voltage, Pepco added it’s carrying out an investigation into “this incident to understand what took place and what may have caused this issue,” and that the investigation could take two months to complete.
WTOP contacted the Humane Rescue Alliance, which had been contacted in connection with one of the cases. HRA Chief Operations Officer Kate Meghji said cases like the ones that killed the two dogs this week are rare.
“Typically, when you run into electrocution issues with pets, it’s because they’ve chewed through an electrical cord of some kind,” she said.
Asked what a pet owner should do if they suspect their pet is in a similar situation, Meghji told WTOP, “Keep yourself safe, get them off the point of contact safely, and get them to an emergency vet.”