Channel 11 presses for answers after dog fatally electrocuted on public Pittsburgh sidewalk

PITTSBURGH — Channel 11 is pressing officials for answers after a pet dog was fatally electrocuted while on a walk with its owner Sunday.

Shortly before 2:30 p.m., emergency crews were called to the pedestrian sidewalk on the Murray Avenue Bridge in Squirrel Hill.

There, it was determined that a dog had been electrocuted after coming into contact with a metal plate secured within the sidewalk, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.

Julia Schandelmeier, who owns a nearby business, Post-Operative and Therapeutic Massage, arrived shortly after the event and made the 911 call.

“My colleague, who witnessed the event, pulled me over and showed me what had happened,” Schandelmeier said. “It was awful.” She told us that the dog ultimately died.

A Public Safety spokesperson told us that “Pittsburgh Fire determined that the metal access cover appeared to be energized and they called Duquesne Light.”

Channel 11 has contacted numerous involved parties, and none can explain how part of a public sidewalk became electrified.

A spokesperson for Duquesne Light sent us a statement that reads, in part, “Once we were made aware of the situation, we quickly supported the City of Pittsburgh and their electrical contractors in responding to this matter. At this time, we are not aware of any Duquesne Light-owned facilities that are directly involved in the incident.”

The Duquesne Light spokesperson stated that the company is working with “the relevant parties to understand the cause.”

We also reached out to a company called Sargent Electric, which told us that they were brought in only to “repair the circuit after the incident,” but otherwise could not add further information. The company told Channel 11 that “The City of Pittsburgh is responsible for this bridge.”

Channel 11 reached out to the city for answers.

A spokesperson for Mayor Gainey’s Office told us that “the equipment supplying power to the streetlights is not energized” and that there is no further risk to the public.

The statement, however, does not explain how the city pinpointed the problem and is assured it won’t happen again.

“Once we were made aware of the incident in Squirrel Hill involving a beloved pet and their owner, we conducted an investigation on our equipment with support from Duquesne Light to solve the issue and are working to identify the cause,” the statement from the Mayor’s Office reads.

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