Report: South Carolina Dog Digs Up Unexploded Ordnance in Backyard

A little dog may have saved his owner’s life after making a shocking discovery while digging in the backyard.

Vincent Webb’s little dog, Arthur, did what most dogs do and started digging in the backyard near the garden outside after relieving himself on Thursday in North Charleston, South Carolina, WCBD reported.

Webb noticed that his dog had uncovered something very dangerous – an unexploded ordnance.

“I went over and looked at it, found out it was a World War 1 artillery shell,” Webb told WCBD.

The owner called 911, and the North Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad, and the U.S. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) rushed to his house.

According to Webb, Officials told him that the undetonated device still had its bearings inside.

While Webb believes the device to be from World War I, officials have not yet confirmed the era of it, WCBD reported.

The EOD was able to safely remove the undetonated device from the area and took possession of it thereafter.

Webb told WCBD that he would frequently dig in the backyard while working on his garden.

“All the times I dig out here because I have a garden here, I never knew it was there. I could have hit it with my shovel and detonated it,” Webb explained.

And Webb is thankful for his little buddy’s instincts on Thursday.

“I’m just glad the hero here found it,” Webb said. “This guy right here is basically my life and he saved his dad’s life.”

In March of this year, archeologists in Georgia at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park discovered an undetonated Civil War-era bomb while surveying a hiking trail.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.

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