Latest Weather Blog
Cause of death for dog shocks family, utility comes back following OYS report
Related Story
GEISMAR - Family members say the results from a necropsy are alarming and have them searching for answers.
The report from LSU Diagnostics said Xena, a beloved dog, died of hypovolemic shock due to hemothorax, or rapid internal blood loss, after being shot.
The necropsy report showed the dog had been shot a total of six times, with two being recent and four being previous, non-lethal wounds. The gunshot wounds caused aortic and pulmonary lacerations.
The dog was found dead in a fenced-in area a day after a transformer exploded and leaked oil into a backyard. Xena, a German Shepherd and Catahoula mixed-breed, was three years old at the time of death.
Less than 24 hours after a 2 On Your Side segment aired about the slow cleanup response, an Entergy crew arrived at the home Friday morning with heavy machinery to scoop up more contaminated dirt.
A family of five lives at the home, including an Ascension Parish first responder. They contacted Brittany Weiss after their dog died, and they discovered the mess around a leaking transformer wasn't properly cleaned. What they didn't expect was the report revealing gunshot wounds, as no blood was visible on the scene.
The transformer exploded on Monday afternoon, leaking oil into the backyard. Entergy responded quickly to the power outage and replaced the transformer that same afternoon. They also called a cleaning crew to scoop up the leaked oil, but after they left, an oil sheen remained.
An Entergy crew came back the next day to clean again.
"We just kind of went back to business as usual; nobody raised any suspicion of any hazard," said the first responder.
Tuesday evening, the first responder's nine-year-old went outside to feed the dog.
"That's when I got the hysterical phone call that our dog was dead," he said.
On Thursday, a crew revisited the site and placed a boom around the contaminated area. A strong smell of oil could still be detected as of Thursday afternoon. The crew left a cleanup notice with the property owner, which said that "All oil has not been removed from the spill site," and they would return on February 16.
Instead, after a report from 2 On Your Side, crews arrived at the home on Friday morning and continued the work to remove the contaminated dirt.
The family has many unanswered questions and isn't sure how the dog received six gunshot wounds or when.
On Friday, Entergy responded to WBRZ, saying, "We are aware of the issue and remain in communication with the customer at this time."
The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office also provided the following statement:
Deputies responded to a civil call regarding a deceased dog at a residence in Geismar. Upon arrival, deputies located the dog, which was visibly covered in oil, and made contact with the homeowner. The dog did not have any apparent injuries. Deputies obtained statements from the homeowner and photographed the deceased dog for further review. At this time, the homeowner has not filed any additional reports or complaints with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office regarding this incident.
News
