Woman Says Dog Got Electric Shock From Manhole Cover In West Loop

CHICAGO (CBS) — A woman in the West Loop was warning fellow pet owners Sunday, after she said her dog was hurt by a mysterious electrical current.

As CBS 2’s Eric Cox reported, the woman said her dog was nearly electrocuted while walking over a manhole cover at Jackson Boulevard and Green Street.

Her plan is to warn other pet owners after the unpleasant Sunday stroll.

“She just yelped out,” Kathleen Brown said of her dog, Penelope.

Brown said she and Penelope went on a Sunday morning walk they won’t soon forget.

“I’ve never heard her make that noise before,” Brown said.

Penelope was shrieking in pain after they passed over the manhole cover.

“She darted right from it,” Brown said. “It was covered in water and right next to the cover, there’s a bunch of loose wires.”

“She avoided every other metal cover on the walk home,” Brown said.

After the walk, Brown went back to the cover, grabbed an orange cone, and wrote a warning on a sheet of paper she wrapped around the cone in hopes that other pet owners would take heed.

In Florida, a grate Pyrenee puppy named Charlie was taken on a routine stroll last September. He was shocked after stepping on a manhole cover with wet paws and later died.

Brown said she also posted about what happened to Penelope on social media.

Other pet owners quickly responded, claiming their dogs were shocked by the same cover. One commenter event claimed his wife called 311 about the issue two weeks ago.

“I’m frustrated that nothing’s been done,” Brown said, “and I really hope something is rectified soon so nothing worse happens.”

Minutes after Brown uttered those words, city workers showed up and brought the rectification she was waiting for. It only took city workers about 10 minutes to assess and evaluate the situation – cutting wires near the manhole.

The city not respond to questions about why it took two weeks to come out.

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