TORONTO -- A man in the U.S. says his dog was shocked by an electrified manhole cover during a walk in Chicago.

Earl the four-year-old Jack Russell terrier let out a yelp and sustained minor injuries when he stepped on the sewer cover, owner Jeff Fine told local TV news outlet WBBM.

“In a split second he was spread-eagle, all the way down, belly partly on the manhole cover, completely on the ground screaming. I had never heard him scream like that,” said Fine.

He’s sure that an electrified manhole cover was the culprit, because when he picked the dog up he felt an electric shock course through his own body, which made him realize the possible dangers to more vulnerable people who aren’t 190 pounds and healthy, as he described himself.

"My body can handle that,” he said. “But imagine it’s a child, someone who's elderly, someone who's frail, and can't handle it. It could've been far worse."

It’s not the first time dogs in the area have been hurt by apparently electrified manhole covers.

Earl is doing OK, said Fine, but sustained burn marks on its belly and a blister on one of its paws.

Fine hopes that the latest incident will make the city act. He’s spoken with police and other Chicago officials since the incident.

"I want this to stop,” he said. “I want the city and construction companies and contractors to be aware of the dangers that they pose to dogs and kids.”