WASHINGTON 鈥� The owner of a beloved dog says her landlord believes a live wire, hidden in concrete killed her dog during a walk outside her apartment complex.
Pam Kelly was walking her dog Lakai, part German Shepard and part Border Collie, on Monday night. They were on the concrete near a聽swimming pool at the 3003 Van Ness Apartments, on Van Ness Street in Northwest, when the dog was knocked off her feet.
Kelly says the apartment owner, Equity Residential, sent an email to residents explaining 鈥渁 licensed electrician identified a wire inside the concrete that was the issue.鈥�
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what was going on, I thought my dog had broken her leg, so I didn鈥檛 move her,鈥� said Kelly, tearfully. 鈥淚f I had just picked her up and moved her from the area she might still be alive.鈥�
The phenomenon of stray voltage is not unheard of.
In a,聽NBC 草莓传媒 found 40 electrified items, including light poles, manhole covers, and grates — during one evening of testing in D.C.
The incident on Van Ness Street was on private property. Pepco referred questions to the apartment owner. On Wednesday, the apartment complex issued the following statement:
We can confirm that an incident involving a resident鈥檚 beloved pet occurred in the courtyard of the community.聽 We would like to extend our condolences to the resident whose dog passed away. We regret that this incident occurred, which was tied to a very unusual electrical issue.聽 Note that there was not an exposed wire. Rather, a licensed electrician identified a wire inside the concrete that was the issue.
Since learning of this unusual incident, we have removed the power supply to the area and are working with our electrician to correct the underlying issue.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of stray voltage going on in the city,鈥� Kelly聽speculates. 鈥淯nfortunately when it rains, or the snow melts, it makes it even worse.鈥�
Kelly says she worries stray voltage can be more devastating to pets than humans.
鈥淔or us, we鈥檙e all wearing shoes, we鈥檙e fine, but our pets are not,鈥� she says.
Kelly and her son say they felt an electrical shock while trying to help Lakai on Monday evening. Other tenants in the building have reported feeling shocks at the same location, and their dogs have reacted in pain during walks.
The area remains cordoned behind police tape, and she says the apartment complex has turned off the power source.
Kelly says she is bringing Lakai for an autopsy on Wednesday to conclusively determine what killed her dog.
Asked if she鈥檚 planning on filing a lawsuit, Kelly says she isn鈥檛 at liberty to say.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to let this go, I鈥檓 not going to let my dog die in vain. I can鈥檛 let this happen to anybody else,鈥� Kelly says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 too quiet in my apartment right now,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 know life goes on, so maybe what I can do is put all my efforts into trying to make sure this doesn鈥檛 happen again.鈥�
