Especially BEWARE in the winter with our freeze-thaw cycles and with salt added to the mix. Water conducts electricity and no matter what, there will be stray electricity.
We wear shoes and sneakers with soles of leather. Pups walk barefoot on the pavement, grids and manhole covers.
Con Edison, National Grid, City contractors, private contractors.
And nature.
This is a City of 8 million people and something is bound to go wrong somewhere. If it’s not an actual accident, it can be from normal corrosion as the wires age. What goes wrong is stray electricity passing through a subway grid or a manhole cover. It’s not a big deal to us with our insulated feet but to pups, it can be painful or even fatal.
So be aware and think.
To be certain, guide your pup away from these possible electrical conductors as you walk and if he yelps or refuses to walk near one, know that he knows what you might not. Hint: lampposts can also be unwitting conductors of stray electricity so a relief on a hydrant or a signpost or a well established tree is much safer than a pee on a lamp.
So, definitely use that ounce of prevention as you walk pup and help him relive himself. Avoid anything that might be an unwitting conductor of stray electricity, gratings, manhole covers, lampposts. Of course, if you see loose wires, contact 311.
If pup is in contact with in-ground metal and reacts in any way, believe him for his paws know. And most important, by his leash quickly. For if you touch him while he is being electrocuted, you will fry, too.if pup is on a grid or manhole over and he freezes, don’t reach in but pull him to safety
Fortunately, these incidents are fairly rare but we’re in the season of damp sidewalks so please BEWARE and be careful.
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