Photograph by Flickr user Wonderlane.
Local animal lovers have been saddened and alarmed by the sudden deaths of two dogs on a downtown DC sidewalk earlier this week.
The dogs died Monday afternoon in two separate incidents on 19th Street, a few blocks from the Dupont Metro. Both were walking with their owners when they were electrocuted, according to DC police.
Pepco tells Washingtonian in a statement that it’s investigating the incident “to understand what took place and what may have caused this issue.” The investigation, which the company says “will include industry peers and third-party experts,” is expected to take about two months.
In the meantime, Pepco says its crews have inspected the stretch of sidewalk where the alleged electrocutions happened—they’ve confirmed that “there is no stray voltage in the area and the area is safe.”
While Pepco hasn’t determined an official cause of Monday’s incidents, this isn’t the first time the company has investigated apparent electrocutions of dogs in DC: Back in the winter of 2021, some pet owners reported their dogs received nonfatal electric shocks in and around a Navy Yard apartment building. Pepco determined that those zaps were likely caused by powerful static.
New York City has seen similar incidents in recent years—in February 2022, a dog was fatally electrocuted in Brooklyn while walking over a metal plate on the street.
The recent snowstorm that swept across the District may have been a catalyst for Monday’s tragedies. According to a 2018 WNYC article, such incidents can happen when road salt is applied to city streets after winter weather: Since salt makes water a stronger conduit for electricity, saltwater-soaked concrete near a damaged underground cable can charge the sidewalk.
As Pepco conducts its investigation, there are still some steps that pet owners can take to protect their dogs during walks—especially in the wintertime.
Kate Meghji, the chief operating officer of the Humane Rescue Alliance, suggests getting your pup some seasonal footwear—the same way you’d wear winter boots to protect your own feet. “Rubber-soled boots or booties are a barrier that could be between your dog’s paws and the ground,” she says. Plus, booties can keep your dog’s paws from making direct contact with road salt: “The salt that people put out—some of it is pet-friendly and some of it is not, and so if it gets in your pet’s paws and they lick it, that could cause some distress.”
In general, Meghji recommends that dog walkers avoid “manhole covers and wired grates” as they move around the neighborhood.
With a coating of snow expected in the DC area Saturday, Meghji reminds pet parents to limit their animals’ outdoor time altogether: “I strongly recommend everybody snuggle with their dogs on a sofa this weekend.”
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