EXCLUSIVE: Dog shocked by electrified street light pole in North York
Posted September 1, 2014 4:46 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A three-year-old black labrador retriever is recovering after a shocking confrontation with a street light.
Lucky was on a walk with his owner, who wished only to be identified as Max, in the Victoria Park and Finch area around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when the 140 pound dog stopped to sniff the metal plate on a light pole.
That’s when he got an electric shock.
“His head shook, his body contorted and he was thrown away from the post,” Max explained. “I didn’t know what had happened at first because I didn’t see any live wires on the ground.”
Max immediately called 311 and was transferred to Toronto Hydro.
Brian Buchan, spokesperson for Toronto Hydro, told CityNews the pole and the plate had become electrified after corrosion caused a wire inside the pole to come loose and made contact with the metal plate.
Testing showed that the metal plate was charged with 120 volts at the time of the incident. The pole itself was carrying 40 volts.
Buchan said incidents like this are uncommon and over the last four years Toronto Hydro has implemented a program to search for any energized poles and handwells around the city.
“Electrical safety is a top priority for Toronto Hydro,” said Buchan. “What we’ve been doing is the regular scanning and then the preventative maintenance.”
Max says she’s relieved that Lucky wasn’t more seriously hurt by the shock and was happy Toronto Hydro was so quick to respond, so as to prevent any other injuries to anyone.
“If it was a small child or a smaller person they could have been seriously injured,” she explained. “I don’t see any burn marks so I’m relieved but I am going to take him to the vet tomorrow just to get him checked out.”
Buchan adds that anyone who thinks they may have an electrified pole in their area should contact the Toronto Hydro dispatch line at (416) 542 -8000.
