A harrowing ordeal left one dog dead and its owner extremely fortunate to have survived.

On Jan. 28, at approximately 4:25 p.m. police responded to a call that a female resident, walking her dog near the Apawamis Country Club, came in contact with a downed power line that killed the pet and shocked its owner, according to Police Lt. Joseph Verille.

Police said the dog, which was off the leash at the time, spotted a dead raccoon in a small patch of bushes along Locust Avenue near Glendale Road. The raccoon apparently had been electrocuted by the fallen electrical wire and after running over to the dead animal, the dog met the same fate.

The dog’s owner, Barbara Minerva of 4 Rockridge Road, went over to see what happened; as she bent over to pick up her dog she was shocked, jolting her back. Lt. Verille said if it wasn’t for the woman wearing a pair of gloves she would have also likely been electrocuted to death.

The daughter of the resident notified police after receiving a call from her mother; police in turn contacted Con Edison who arrived at the scene and deactivated the power line for roughly one hour. According to Con Edison spokesperson, Chris Olert the line was replaced later that night. However, as of Tuesday Con Edison was still unclear how the wire came down. “We are as curious as everyone else why did it [the wire] come down,” Olert, who said the wires are sturdy against even wind and ice typically, told us. Officials are also looking into whether a tree may have knocked down the line.  

It is also unclear if either animal had come in contact with the wire or the area surrounding the fallen wire was energized ground.

Minerva was transported to Greenwich Hospital for treatment but was expected to be OK.