In January 2025, two dogs were electrocuted in downtown DC within minutes of each other when a faulty wire energized a sidewalk.
WASHINGTON — One year ago, two dogs were killed within minutes of each other after a faulty underground cable, combined with melting snow, de-icing salt and debris, energized a sidewalk on the 1100 block of 19th Street Northwest.
After the incident, Pepco conducted a massive voltage detection sweep of its infrastructure in downtown DC but found no additional issues and it’s updated reporting systems and training programs to prevent that from happening again.
Experts tell WUSA9 what happened last January is extremely rare, but there are ways to keep your dog safe.
“Honestly, I’ve never seen it. That’s how rare we’re talking here,” said Sophie Andrews, the Medical Director with Humane Rescue Alliance. “It’s important for pet owners to not like panic about things which are extremely low risk of being a problem for them.”
It’s unlikely, but Andrews says there are a few things dog owners can do to be extra careful while on a walk.
“There’s no strong evidence to suggest that putting booties on the dog or covering their feet will actually make any impact here, but there’s some things that we know that you can avoid which we know will conduct electricity, so not allowing dogs to urinate on lampposts or traffic lights, things that we know that there’s electricity running inside them,” said Andrews. “Also, any metal. Avoiding the metal on the streets, or any like grids, and manhole covers, things like that.”
Andrews says the number one problem she sees with dogs during the wintertime is non pet friendly snow melt or salt in a dog’s paws. She says covering your dog’s paws will help with that.
And, she says, if it’s too cold for you to be outside, make sure your dog is spending minimal time outdoors as well.
“Whether this is extreme heat or extreme cold, that a couple of days of not going for a long walk is not a problem,” said Andrews. “Obviously we want to see animals being active, we want to see them being exercised, maintaining their body condition, but if it’s going to be detrimental to the animal’s health to go out in extreme weather, let them take a day off.”