Dog electrocuted '˜by shop shutter' on Haymarket Terrace

A resident was shocked to see her bulldog Buddy was acting abnormally “jumping around like a cat” after he had been outside their Haymarket Terrace home.

Initially assuming the pooch had glass in his paw, the owner was electrocuted after Buddy had passed on a static shock.

Scottish Power engineers urgently responded to a call at around 9pm on Tuesday night to establish the cause of the incident.

The dog was electrocuted on Haymarket Terrace. Pic: Greg Macvean

A local source told the Evening News that a shop on the street had not been earthed meaning the metal objects within the premises had become electrified, posing a risk to the public.

This includes the shutter covering the front of the shop of which it is believed the dog may have rubbed against while outside. The incident has sparked discussions at how the building was unearthed in the first place, with some feeling it was fortunate a child or pensioner hadn’t stumbled into the shutter.

But a source told the Evening News that some older properties may not have a main earthing system in place.

Some residents were unable to use the front entrances to their properties for a number of hours while engineers cordoned off the area for public safety while an investigation was carried out. Buddy and other pets were encouraged to stay indoors for their own safety until the works had concluded.

A local resident, who wished not to be named, told the Evening News: “My friend’s dog, Buddy, came in last night and he was jumping around like a cat. At first she thought Buddy may have had glass in his paw but he was acting too unusual.

“She reached down to check his paws and she got an electric shock. She called Scottish Power who came out straight away but some of the residents were unable to use the front entrance to their homes due to the work being carried out.”

A building being unearthed is believed to be a rare occurrence, with Scottish Power engineers being able to fix the problem late on Tuesday night.

Engineers then returned yesterday to conduct 
inquiries inside the shop where it is believed there was an electrical fault.

The firm’s electrical system has now been connected to the ground to avoid a repeat of Tuesday’s drama.

The incident has been described as “very rare”.

It is understood Buddy has suffered no lasting effects. An industry expert told the Evening News the shock from the shutter would have been comparable to that of a plug socket.

A Scottish Power spokesman said: “We were called out on Tuesday, December 11 and responded to a third party network on Haymarket Terrace. We were able to resolve the issue without interrupting the main power supply.”

The business owners were unavailable when approached for a comment.

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