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Another Dog Zapped By Sidewalk Electricity

Owner Wants City To Crack Down On Hot Spots

POSTED: 8:06 am EST March 3, 2004
UPDATED: 5:05 pm EST March 3, 2004

Another dog was zapped by electricity while out for a walk with its owner in Boston.

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NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that Boston Inspectional Services officers are trying to find out what caused the surge of electricity that shocked the dog as it walked near an NStar manhole in Chinatown. It's the third such incident in the city, including one in which killed a dog in Charlestown.

Nora Hayes was walking her 18-month-old Hungarian Vizsla named "Crumb" Tuesday night.

"We were walking on pavement in close proximity to a manhole cover. She didn't come into contact with the manhole cover, but water on the pavement and was shocked by that. She jumped about four feet in the air," Hayes said.

"As of right now, there aren't any injuries that we have established. The concern with a potential injury is exposure to high-voltage. It can cause a buildup of fluid in the lungs. That can lead the animals to develop trouble breathing," Angell Memorial Hospital Dr. Courtney Peck said.

The incident happened at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Harper Street. A few weeks ago, another dog was electrocuted in a similar incident.

"We are going around the city trying to get NStar to inspect all its sites in the city of Boston. Things that happened last night will not happen again. It is really their responsibility," Boston Mayor Tom Menino said.

NStar said in this case, a contractor may be responsible.

"We immediately began investigating that. We talked to the people who were in the area who told us that they had recently witnessed a construction crew -- a contractor -- who had been digging. They believe that they saw that crew strike a line and make hasty repairs to it," NStar spokeswoman Christina McKenna said.

Hayes said that Crumb was very lucky. She wants hot spots eliminated throughout the city.

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