A police dog was electrocuted by a faulty WiFi router which was plugged into a wall socket in the check-in area at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4, the Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed.
The accident occurred on December 26, and it left Bonnie, the bomb-sniffing police dog, out of action for several days, a spokesperson for the Met Police told us.
The early evening accident was caused by a faulty WiFi router which was plugged into a wall socket. Lots of these mini routers were plugged into wall sockets around the various Heathrow terminals to help to boost the WiFi signal, but they have now all been removed as a safety precaution.
In a staff bulletin, the airport said the routers were being removed over concerns that they could be easily damaged and expose people (and dogs) to an electric shock.
All of the routers were removed by February 3.
In a statement, a Met Police spokesperson told us: “We can confirm that on 26th December 2022, a police dog based at Heathrow Airport suffered an electric shock. The shock came from a WIFI booster plugged into a wall socket. The Airport’s Health and Safety team conducted a review and removed all other devices.”
“The dog, named Bonnie, was taken to a vet and was fully recovered after a couple of days and was able to resume work.”
In 2018, King Charles (then Prince Charles) petted one of the Met Police’s bomb-sniffing dogs during an official visit to Heathrow Airport. The visit focused on how various agencies helped to keep the skies safe and secure.
The King also met apprentices and young people who had various jobs at the airport as part of his longstanding commitment to improving the life chances of teenagers and young adults.
Heathrow Airport is protected by a specialist division of the Metropolitan Police Service which secures the airport 365 days a year. The airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
