The owner reported to Knoxville police that the dog was electrocuted because she also felt the shock from the puddle.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A dog was electrocuted after walking through a puddle outside of Walmart on Monday, according to authorities with the Knoxville Police Department and the Knoxville Utilities Board.
Police responded to the store at around 10:30 a.m. after being told a dog was deceased. A woman told police that the dog walked through a puddle, yelped and lost consciousness. KPD said she and others tried to resuscitate the dog, but it died.
A spokesperson with KUB said the electrocution happened due to an infrastructure failure on “privately-owned lighting powered by a privately-owned breaker.” The spokesperson said all KUB infrastructure was functioning properly.
According to a spokesperson with Young-Williams Animal Center, crews transported the dog to the shelter where the owner could receive its remains. The woman who talked to police said the dog was electrocuted because she also felt the shock from the puddle.
The police department notified KUB of the incident and it has since worked with the maintenance team at Walmart to repair the electrical issue, according to police.
Walmart’s corporate team provided the following statement on the incident:
“We’re 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 police department said it was not sure if Walmart was responsible for the dog’s death. A spokesperson said he was unsure if Walmart owned or managed the parking lot where the dog died.
This is a developing story.