Officials search for cause after dog walking on Pittsburgh sidewalk is electrocuted and killed

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- There are a lot of questions about who is responsible for the death of a dog after it was electrocuted on Sunday in Squirrel Hill.

The owner's family said the owner was just out for a regular walk when the dog stepped on a metal plate on the Murray Avenue Bridge and died. 

Joe Jacobs, part owner of King Electric, told KDKA-TV's Mamie Bah it's likely exposed wiring underneath touched the metal plate.

"If the grounding is not up to code and you have those exposed wires, they are going to connect and find its way to a source. If the box is metal, unfortunately it's going to energize that metal, it would energize us or an animal," he said. 

KDKA-TV has learned that's what happened on the Murray Avenue Bridge Sunday. Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire responded.

According to the incident report, the man and his dog were no longer at the scene when engine 18 arrived, but fire officials tested the metal cover for an electrical current. The results came back positive. The 911 caller told police the dog was electrocuted and died. The owner was also shocked trying to save his pet.

"They probably felt a residual shock," explained Jacobs. He continued, "Unfortunately with dogs, they don't have rubber sole shoes to protect them. That's exactly what happened."

Now, who is to blame?

Similar incidents have happened in other parts of the country, and the power supplier was responsible. KDKA's Mamie Bah-TV reached out to Duquesne Light.

In a statement, a spokesperson responded, "We were very saddened to learn of the incident in Squirrel Hill on Sunday involving a beloved pet and its owner. Once we were made aware of the situation, we quickly supported the City of Pittsburgh and their electrical contractors in responding to this matter. At this time, we are not aware of any Duquesne Light-owned facilities that are directly involved in the incident.  We're continuing to work with the relevant parties to understand the cause."

So KDKA-TV's Mamie Bah reached out to the city, who she learned owns the infrastructure to clarify their role and to respond to claims that the tragedy could have been prevented.

In a statement, a spokesperson wrote, "The City of Pittsburgh takes the safety of our residents and their families very seriously, and we know that for many, our pets are members of our family. Once we were made aware of the incident in Squirrel Hill involving a beloved pet and their owner, we conducted an investigation on our equipment with support from Duquesne Light to solve the issue and are working to identify the cause. The equipment supplying power to the streetlights is not energized and, at this time, there is no further risk to the public. We send our heartfelt condolences to all those impacted by this tragedy."

KDKA also reached out to Sargent Electric, the president said their role was to troubleshoot and cut the circuit.