After Dogs Shocked Outside River North Building, Alderman Considers Ordinance To Protect Tenants, Pets

RIVER NORTH — After several dogs were electrocuted outside a River North apartment complex, a soon-to-be-proposed ordinance would improve public warnings about electrical hazards.

The move follows growing pressure from residents — and a petition from Nicole Johnson, whose 85-pound German shepherd, Jenna, was shocked by an electrical current outside her luxury apartment building, Wolf Point East. Johnson contacted Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), who said he’s working to draft an ordinance to address the problem.

“My office was helpful in notifying the building of the severity of this issue. I am working with the City Council’s Legislative Reference Bureau to draft an ordinance that would require private property owners, utilities and CDOT to notify local residents when they learn of an electrical hazard,” Reilly said in a statement.

“I commend Nicole for starting this petition and suggesting landlords should notify residents within 24-48 hours of identifying an electrical hazard. However, in order to prevent our pets and neighbors from being hurt, residents should be notified about electrical hazards sooner. My ordinance will require notification much earlier.”

The trouble began during one of Johnson’s routine evening walks. When crossing a metal strip in front of the building, Jenna screamed, fell to the ground shaking and defecated. After talking to other pet owners, Johnson realized her dog had been shocked by the metal strip.

Block Club previously spoke with three other pet owners from Wolf Point East who described similar incidents with their dogs, including some being knocked off their feet, making loud screaming noises and becoming too afraid to enter through the main entrance. Dog owners reported incidents spanning from December through the end of February.

Emails previously obtained by Block Club show that management was aware of the electrical hazard by Feb. 4 and said maintenance would address it immediately. However, in the following weeks, Jenna and other dogs at the building were still shocked. Residents told Block Club they’ve heard from at least 20 other dog owners who had similar experiences with the metal strip.

Hines, the real estate firm that owns Wolf Point East, previously said in a statement to Block Club that the company was communicating with affected residents and had disconnected power at the building’s main entrance after discovering the issue. Its engineering team worked with third-party contractors to identify the cause and “resolved it following thorough testing,” according to Hines.

Johnson said that after Block Club reported on the incidents, she saw a crew working on the metal surface. Hines also offered financial compensation to Johnson, which she refused, saying she felt insulted and disrespected by the real estate firm, which didn’t appear to take the issue seriously until she spoke to reporters.

“Jenna is my emotional support animal, and she also serves as a psychiatric service dog for me. What happened to her is terrible. Their negligence is terrible, their ongoing disrespect is terrible. … She’s still scared of coming in and out of the building,” Johnson said.

Johnson declined to say how much money Hines offered, but she told Block Club it wasn’t even half the rent for her $3,200-a-month apartment. Instead, she’s choosing to break her lease and move — a decision the company is allowing at no cost.

“It’s not about the money. I would like them to know their actions throughout this whole thing have shown a disregard all along the way and that they’re not taking it seriously,” Johnson said.

Hines did not respond to questions about how many financial offers were made to residents, but a representative said in a statement that the electrical issue had been addressed.

“The issue has been fully resolved and management will continue to monitor it to ensure there are no ongoing concerns,” spokesperson Marisa Monte-Santoro said in a statement.

In an effort to ensure this doesn’t happen to other people or pets in the future, Johnson started a Change.org petition asking City Hall to pass a safe housing and pet protection ordinance.

Ideally, the ordinance would require landlords to quickly notify residents of safety hazards, install visible warnings near electrical issues and provide veterinary guidance if pets are affected. Landlords would also be required to show proof that a licensed contractor completed repairs within a set timeframe.

“It’s unbelievable to me that this has gone on as long as it did. It’s not just pets, it’s people too, because they touched it to see and they got zapped as well,” Johnson said. “As a resident, you’re tied into these places with a contract; you can’t just leave. … These management companies really need to be responsible and make sure that they’re keeping the community safe and informed.”

In Chicago, a proposed ordinance must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by an alderman, city commissioner, department head or the mayor. The proposed ordinance is then assigned to a City Council committee for review, possible hearings and a vote. If approved, it goes to the full City Council for a final vote.

---

Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.