Dog shocked by stray voltage

Toronto stray voltage prompts a dog shock scare on Danforth Ave., as leaking electricity from underground cables triggers convulsions; Toronto Hydro crews, inspections, wet salty conditions, and pet safety tips underscore public safety.

Stray electrical voltage from an underground cable shocked a dog and two animal care workers on Danforth Ave. near Jones Ave.

Marnie Jennings, a Toronto elementary school teacher, was walking her dog Schroeder and had her 3-week-old son Luke in a carry pouch when the animal collapsed on the sidewalk and began to convulse, an event reminiscent of a dog electrocuted on a morning walk reported recently in local news.

Jennings ran across Danforth Ave. to the Riverdale Animal Hospital for help and two assistants rushed back across the street to pull the dog to safety.

Both the helpers could feel the jolt of the current.

Jennings said she felt "a bit of a painful sensation" when she tried to move the dog.

"At first I thought he had ice in his paw," Jennings said.

"But when Schroeder fell over in convulsions, it looked like he was having a seizure."

Luckily, Schroeder, a 5-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, had youth and a healthy disposition on his side, which saw him through the ordeal.

"It's a story with a happy ending," said Jennings, who has two other children, 5-year-old Matthew and Sara, 3.

A string of similar incidents occurred a year ago, when electricity leaking from underground facilities shocked both people and animals across the city, and in Montreal an electrocution suspected in a dog death drew attention too.

After two dogs were electrocuted, including a second dog electrocuted case reported citywide, Toronto Hydro launched a $14.4 million project to find locations where electricity was escaping and posing a danger to the public.

Tanya Bruckmueller of Toronto Hydro said faulty underground cable was to blame for the shocks, while TTC wiring at fault has been cited in other cases, and the problem has been fixed.

Toronto Hydro hired a firm with three trucks that scan city streets year-round to search for stray voltage following the rash of incidents a year ago, Bruckmueller said.

"Ironically, we had our trucks there last week and didn't detect any voltage," she said.

It's possible that the streets were dry when the area was checked, she said, and that the recent snow produced the wet, salty conditions that are ideal for conducting electricity, a reminder that street shocks will always be a problem during wet winter weather.

Owners who think a dog is being shocked should pull their pet away from the area by its leash or collar, without touching the animal directly, she said.

Jennings said representatives from Toronto Hydro came to her home and said they were "truly sorry for what happened."

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