All around the country police and local law enforcement agencies are warning people about the potential dangers of discarded tennis balls that have essentially been turned into bombs. Dog owners and parents of young children in particular should be very wary of any stray tennis balls they see on the ground. That’s because a number of tennis balls have been found which were turned into homemade fireworks!
Law enforcement officials say people are taking objects that can hold explosives, like pipes and tennis balls, and making homemade firecrackers out of them. They remove the insides of fireworks and transfer the explosive materials into tennis balls they’ve cut open. However, sometimes the DIY fireworks are defective and don’t go off as planned. These duds get discarded and left behind on the ground, where anyone or any animal can happen upon them.
The danger un-exploded tennis ball bombs pose is real and lethal, they can go off and explode at any time. Unsuspecting people could fall victim to the bombs and lose fingers or a hand and pets, especially dogs, could die.
In Portland, Oregon back in 2000 a man walking his dog came across a tennis ball laying on the ground. He picked it up and carried it around before he eventually used the ball to play fetch with his dog. After throwing and retrieving it a few times the tennis ball suddenly exploded in the dog’s mouth, killing him. The force from the blast was reportedly felt by neighbors four blocks away and the poor dog lost his life because of it.
The accompanying video covers this news story and explains how to spot and identify a tennis ball bomb. They’re easy to spot and usually have a fuse sticking out and/or are wrapped in tape. If you ever come across a tennis ball that has clearly been tampered with don’t touch it and keep your dog far away. Call 911 immediately and report the location, it could end up saving someones life.
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