PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — At least two dogs were hurt when they were shocked by charged parts of the sidewalk in different sections of Center City last week, according to their owners.
Karl and Angela W. from Washington Square said their 60-pound Samoyed mix, named Laszo, is dealing with some weakness in his front legs after they said he suffered an electrical shock from a slab of sidewalk near Fourth and Pine streets on Jan. 10.
“He is shrieking in a way that is blood-curdling,” Angela recalled. “Really bizarre, like, even too quick to be a seizure. And it was obviously more than just him quivering in pain or something.”
They said Laszo collapsed to the ground. After searching for cuts and other possible injuries, Karl picked the dog up to get him away from the area — and that’s when he felt the shock himself.
“The vibrations that he was going through were the exact same ones as I experienced when I touched a grounding wire,” he said.
They said the walkway looked like an ordinary piece of concrete sidewalk with a brick perimeter.
Laszo is recovering and is expected to be OK. They reported the incident to the Philadelphia Fire Department. PECO told KYW Newsradio that its workers were sent to inspect the area but did not detect an electrical charge.
A day earlier, and about 2.5 miles away, Gabe Dell said his Italian greyhound, Vinny, was shocked after stepping on an electrical plate cover near North 23rd and Cherry streets.
“He lifted his leg and then he stepped one or two steps and yelped really loud and ran away from what he was stepping on,” he said. “I looked down and noticed there was one of those utility vault covers that said ‘electric’ on it.”
The vet told Dell to monitor Vinny, and he is expected to recover.
Dell also reported the incident to PECO’s emergency line, and he was told that there was voltage detected in the area after the incident.
In a statement to KYW, PECO said:
“PECO is committed to the safety of our customers and communities. We have thoroughly investigated the reported incident near 4th and Pine Streets and found no indication of stray voltage in that area.
“Separately, PECO responded to a report near North 23rd and Cherry Streets on January 9 and completed repairs by January 10 to address an underground cable issue.
“While stray voltage is rare, it can occur when electrical current flows through unintended paths. PECO proactively inspects its equipment and responds immediately to any reports to ensure public safety. Customers who suspect an electrical issue should contact PECO immediately at 1-800-841-4141.”
KYW reached out to the City of Philadelphia for comment but has not received a response.