The Hazards of the Sidewalk

Bostonist posted a story yesterday about a dog being killed after getting electrocuted on his daily walk. Unfortunately, another dog, an 8-year-old Black Lab named Mali, got zapped while on a walk along Cambridge Street yesterday. Mali survived the freak accident and is home safe in Beacon Hill with her family. This is the second story about unsafe wires/hot sources along sidewalks in two days here in the city. While the one in Allston was blamed on NStar, this most recent occurance is being blamed on the Mass Bay Electric Corporation; they were the ones responsible for shutting off the power at this source. The dog was crossing over the median on Cambridge Street and came into contact with the site of an old lamppost, which was removed in January 2003, but the wires weren't capped and the power remained on. Cambridge Street has been under recent renovations and some think it might be related since the State has records to prove that the lamppost was disconnected two years ago.
The Boston Globe is hoping to prepare its readers and four-legged friends with some helpful tips on how to prepare you and your pet for your next walk around the block. They advise putting your dog in rubber booties (as well as the human boots version for you), staying away from metal grates, manholes, and slushy puddles of water (which can contain salt water from the roads; this conducts electricity). It would be smart to stay away from any construction areas where electricity might be worked on.
These are not only great tips for Fido, but helpful for you too as you navigate the sidewalks on your trip home from work.