Ruff Paws

In recent years, hundreds of people and dogs have been accidentally electrocuted while walking down the street.

From the Upper East Side to Queens to Tribeca, no part of the city has been immune to such incidents. The culprit is electric current that escapes (called "stray voltage") from uninsulated or fraying wires from 90,000 miles of underground cables. The escaping current reaches street level through metal manhole covers, grates, lamp posts, and service boxes. On the Streetzaps website, one dog is noted to have been electrocuted by a fire hydrant.

In winter, the danger of being hit by stray voltage heightens as snow, slush and the salt used to melt icy sidewalks increases the conductivity of electrical currents.

How you can play it safe?

Walking is the primary mode of transportation for many New Yorkers, not to mention that our dogs need to be exercised. So what can you do to keep you and your pooch safe? vigilance and avoidance are the best way to prevent shocks.

Here’s a list that provides common street equipment that are energized year-round, and might be prudent to avoid, including:

Street and traffic lights
Fire call boxes
Phone booths
Manhole covers
Street caps
Service boxes
Decorative lighting

Other helpful hints culled from various news articles are:

wear rubber shoes
put rubber booties on the your dog, though be careful that the boots do not become water logged, as that increases the conductivity of electricity
avoid using a metal dog collar
sign up for zap alert emails from Streetzaps.com
ask your dog walker to make sure to avoid metal grates and manholes when walking your dog