(Above) A Nextdoor member, Kristin A., captured this image at Dearborn & Ontario on Saturday, February 15. Kristin reported on Nextdoor that a large dog had been electrocuted while walking on the sidewalk in front of the Northwestern Medicine Immediate Care. (Click on image to view larger version.)

By Steven Dahlman

19-Feb-25 – Pet owners in River North are being warned about stray voltage after two dogs were electrocuted while walking over a manhole cover.

The incidents happened on February 15 in the northeast corner of Dearborn & Ontario Streets.

At about 11:45 a.m., a woman was walking a dog when the animal stepped on a manhole cover on the sidewalk and received an electrical shock. That dog was not seriously injured. However, at 1:35 p.m., another dog was shocked on the same manhole cover and, according to 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, the shock killed the dog.

A pinched, exposed wire caused the manhole cover and a light pole to become electrified, said Reilly on February 18.

“While such incidents are rare, factors like rain and salt can increase the risk,” he wrote in an email to constituents.

Reilly said the Chicago Department of Transportation repaired the issue within an hour.

CDOT issued a statement, recommending pet owners take extra precautions, including footwear for dogs, being cautious around manholes, and not allowing dogs to urinate on light poles.

“Stray voltage, while rare, can pose a hidden and unpredictable danger,” read the CDOT statement. “Because it’s invisible and difficult to detect, for pet safety, owners should prevent their animals from directly touching metal objects such as light poles and manhole covers. This is particularly important during winter when snow melts and salt can increase the conductivity of these surfaces.”