BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Neighborhood Services Committee held a working session Friday on the issue of faulty electrical wiring injuring and killing dogs.
Stray voltage, or unwanted electrical leakage, has resulted in several incidents over the last few years in which dogs were injured—including one on Castle Island where a dog died after walking through an electrified puddle in 2018.
At the session, which was attended by representatives from Boston Public Works, Eversource, and the MSPCA's Advocacy Department, officials listed incidents going at least as far back as 15 years ago where animals were electrocuted in the city due to older electrical infrastructure.
Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, who led the session, said pet owners should feel safe moving forward, since Eversource was taking steps to improve their system.
"The residents should know that we have a great task force of city officials and Eversource that are working actively on the issue," Flynn said.
Mark Flaherty, Eversource's Superintendent of Street Lighting, said the company will be stepping up to avoid dogs getting zapped.
"We have two vehicles now starting Monday night that'll be on all of Eversource's system, scanning for any possible issues," he said. "We work hand in hand with every town or municipality in isolating and finding any issues."
He said it's part of a larger effort to make sidewalks safe.
"Our goal is to replace sidewalk panels with composite covers over time," he said. "It's an expensive undertaking of about $30 million."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kevin Coleman (@KevinColemanWBZ) reports
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(Photo: Kevin Coleman/WBZ NewsRadio)