Exploding Ball Kills Dog Playing Fetch

A bomb hidden in a tennis ball exploded Saturday, killing a dog.

A Portland man was walking his friend’s dog when he found a tennis ball wrapped in tape next to the sidewalk. He and the dog had played fetch with the ball for about 30 minutes when the toy ball exploded in the animal’s mouth, said Henry Groepper of the Portland police.

“It must have been pressure sensitive,” Groepper said.

The chocolate Labrador had to be euthanized at the scene. The dog’s body was sent to a lab for testing to determine the type of explosive used.

Police say they have no suspects, but they do not think the ball was targeted for the man or the dog.

The explosion was so powerful it roused residents four blocks away from the scene.