If you see a tennis ball lying around outside, do not pick it up! This is the warning that police in Kent, Washington are urgently trying to get out to the public, with dogs and children being particularly at risk in this situation. Sadly, the consequences of doing so can be deadly.
Despite the dangers involved, there are people who like to make their own fireworks at home. And what some of the people across Washington have been doing is placing fireworks inside tennis balls or pipes. These fireworks don’t always explode and planned so they are simply left abandoned. But even though these fireworks may have appeared to be duds, they may very well still be active and become highly unstable tennis ball bombs. It’s a very scary thought.
This is especially disturbing news for dog owners since most dogs are accustomed to picking up this “toy” whenever they happen to come across one. Consequently, dog owners have to be extremely vigilant, particularly when they are letting their dog off-lead. If you see a tennis ball on the ground, do not touch it and do not let your dog near it! Sadly, a dog in Portland, OR was killed by one of these bombs in 2000.
“Some of them are very effective and dangerous, and some of them don’t work, but you don’t know,” warns Jarod Kasner of the Kent Police Department. If you happen to come upon a tennis ball bomb, immediately call the police. “A tennis ball bomb is very easy to identify. It is a real tennis ball that has some sort of fuse sticking out of it. The tennis ball could also be completely wrapped in duct tape with a fuse sticking out.” CBS News explained. “If you see a ball or any other household item that looks burnt or has a wick or tape attached to it, don’t touch it.” Remember, these bombs can come in different forms, including pipes and ping pong balls, so don’t take any risks.
Watch the video below and please share this story to help spread the word and warn others!
