At least one and possibly two dogs being walked on the street were shocked on First Ave. between St. Mark’s Pl. and Ninth St. on Tuesday evening.
A Con Edison spokesperson confirmed that one dog was reported shocked at 6:30 p.m. at the site. Con Ed was at the scene at 10 p.m. and reported finding stray voltage of 88 volts on the sidewalk and 120 volts from a defective service box in the street.
Con Ed was cutting off power and providing the building with emergency power while the situation was corrected.
Television news trucks swarmed the site, according to local witnesses Bob Arihood and Anna Sawaryn. Arihood said he saw the man who owned the dogs emerge from a liquor store, carrying one dog, while the liquor storeowner carried the other dog, both dogs apparently not wanting to walk.
The incident follows the Jan. 16 electrocution death of East Villager Jodie Lane, who fell on a slush-covered Con Ed service box on E. 11th St. after she tried to help her dogs, who had been shocked.
