A dog died in Tennessee after it was electrocuted while walking through a puddle outside a Walmart store in Knoxville.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when the pup walked through a puddle and suddenly “yelped and lost consciousness,” according to a woman who witnessed the event and reported it to the Knoxville Police Department. Despite attempts by the woman and others to revive the dog, their efforts were unsuccessful, and it died.
“The woman who reported this incident said that the dog was electrocuted because she personally felt the shock,” stated Knoxville Police Department spokesperson Scott Erland in an email to USA TODAY on Tuesday.
Electrocution likely due to ‘infrastructure failure’
It is not immediately clear why the puddle contained an electrical current. Erland noted that the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) was notified about the incident, and the company “worked with Walmart maintenance to identify and repair the problem.”
In an email to USA TODAY, the utility company explained that the electrocution likely occurred due to an “infrastructure failure on privately-owned lighting powered by a privately-owned breaker.” KUB’s statement confirmed all of their infrastructure was functioning properly when they responded to the scene.
‘Saddened and heartbroken’
Erland said Young Williams Animal Center, which oversees all animal control operations in Knox County, was also notified of the incident.
Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Janet Testerman, in a statement to USA TODAY, said the animal welfare agency was “saddened and heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our community’s pets.”
“On behalf of everyone at Young-Williams Animal Center, we extend our deepest condolences to the owner,” she added.
Authorities said they did not immediately know if the dog was a stray or a pet and where the owner was at the time of the incident.
Walmart, meanwhile, in a statement to USA TODAY said it was “saddened by what’s happened at our Knoxville, Tennessee, facility, and our heart breaks for the family involved.”
“We’re working with authorities as they continue investigating,” the statement added.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
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