WASHINGTON, D.C. (7News) — A Pepco investigation has revealed why two dogs “died instantly by an unknown cause” after walking on a sidewalk near Dupont Circle in January.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the first incident at approximately 7:33 p.m., after receiving reports of a deceased dog on the 1100 block of 19th Street, NW. A second dog was reported to have died from a similar shock earlier that day at around 3:54 p.m.
Witnesses reported that it looked like the dogs were electrocuted.
After an initial investigation, Pepco reported that there was “no stray voltage” in the area.
However, a full investigation revealed the presence of voltage, which was traced back to a fault in a degraded secondary cable.
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Pepco sources explained that while the cable alone would not typically cause voltage to enter the environment, a combination of melting snow, de-icing salt, and debris in a nearby manhole created a conductive environment. Both stray voltage and contact voltage can be sent through conductive grates, manhole covers, streetlights, and traffic signals.
In this case, the sidewalk and nearby objects became energized.
Pepco officials said that the company conducted a 131 linear mile voltage detection sweep of downtown DC over four nights to identify additional voltage issues. The sweep was conducted with third-party Osmose, and reportedly returned no stray or contact voltage on any of the company’s infrastructure.
“Our top priority is the safety of our customers, communities, and employees,” said Pepco spokesperson Chuck McDade in a statement. “We are updating our reporting systems and training programs to continue to build on established practices for inspecting, detecting, and addressing stray and contact voltage issues.
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