A mixed breed rescue dog died after getting electrocuted Monday on a Chicago sidewalk.
The dog, named Ladainian, came too close to an orange cone around a construction site in Old Town.
“All of a sudden, the mutt started yelping like I have never heard, spasming, his back legs gave out,” dog owner Brian Malone said. “He went to the ground.”
The dog bit down hard on Malone's hand as he was trying to administer CPR.
“While I was lying in the water with him, I too was feeling a voltage to the point where I literally had to back off of my dog,” Malone said.
Malone believes the cone was covering a grounding rod pounded into the public sidewalk which may have electrified the salty, melting snow.
“The vet suggested electrocution as a possibility and then it dawned on me,” Malone said. “At the time I didn't see there was a cone. There are cones all over Chicago. I didn't see the copper rod that was at the fence there until I went back.”
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Workers are now back at the Marshall Field Apartments where the rod is now severed from the fence and roped off by police tape.
"We have been made aware of this unfortunate incident and are working with all authorities and contractors as investigations continue," management for Marshall Field Apartments said in a statement. "The City has preliminarily concluded that there is no electrical current coming from the Marshall Field property. We will continue to support the City’s investigation as they move through their process."
Com Ed is also back on the scene of this recently acquired building undergoing an extensive renovation.
“I was obviously grieving for my dog, but at that point, living on this street, I see kids walking all the time,” Malone said. “Plenty of dogs coming to and from the park right there. My first thought was to bring it to someone’s attention to mitigate this going forward.”
Malone says he and the dog had formed a special bond in the six years they had been together. His thoughts now are for other dog owners in the neighborhood.
“I just wanted to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again,” Malone said. “It was torturous to say the least to watch.”
