The tragic incident occurred at the Bowling Green station in Manhattan

A beloved pet has died following an unfortunate accident on the New York City subway.

The pup — a chow chow named “Meatball” — died after falling onto the tracks of the subway system, according to Gothamist and the NY News Daily, which cited the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

The incident happened at around 9:40 a.m. on Feb. 2 on the uptown platform of N.Y.C.’s Bowling Green station, located in lower Manhattan. The pup fell and was electrocuted by the third rail of the subway system, which supplies electricity for the train, according to the outlets and the NYPD.

The dog was discovered on the tracks next to the third rail and was pronounced dead at the scene, NYPD told the outlets.

It is unclear how the dog ended up on the tracks, but the NY News Daily reported that the pup got loose from its owner in the station before the incident.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which runs the city’s subway system, requires all pets traveling on the subway or a bus to “be in a bag or other container and carried in a way that doesn’t annoy other riders,” according to its website.

Working dogs used by law enforcement and service dogs are exempt from this rule. However, people with service dogs must show “proof of affiliation with a professional training school” and that the animal is a licensed service animal.

Commuters at the Bowling Green subway station after the dog’s death told Gothamist that more and more people have not been following that rule. According to the outlet, enforcement of the pet rule has also gone down since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The rule exists for a good reason,” Bowling Green commuter Christopher Tursellino, 29, told Gothamist. “Clearly, you should follow it if you care about your dog.”

Another Bowling Green commuter, Mariam Olowa, noted that she does not see pet owners bringing their pets in bags; instead, she sees them leaving their pets on leashes when commuting on the subway.

 

“It’s rare when I see someone actually carrying their dog in a carrier,” Olowa said. “I think it’s laziness. It’s much easier to have your dog walk on their own than to have them in a carrier.”

Olowa added to Gothamist after being informed of Meatball’s death at the subway station: “RIP Meatball. That’s actually really horrible.”

Many other pet-toting commuters follow the rules, and over the years, some have even gotten crafty about transporting their pets, including New Yorker Jackie Hornung, who carries her Samoyed, Lumi, in a large green hiking backpack on the subway.