NEW YORK, NY — City Council members introduced a package of bills aimed at tackling persistent complaints about dog waste on city streets, focusing on access, education and enforcement.
Speaker Julie Menin renewed a proposal that would require the sanitation department to stock dog waste bag dispensers on or near every public litter basket.
Sanitation officials said the agency lacks the capacity to maintain the dispensers.
“We don’t have the resources to keep these stocked daily,” spokesperson Vincent Gragnani said, adding that local groups or Council members would need to take on that role.
Councilmember Harvey Epstein introduced a separate bill to pilot composting programs for dog waste at dog runs.
“There’s a real opportunity to do something about ensuring that we divert that from trash and make it into compost,” he said.
Epstein said he regularly takes his dog to local runs where composting options are unavailable.
City officials noted that while some locations offer composting for dog waste, it is not widely implemented and cannot be mixed with standard brown-bin compost.
Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse’s bill would require signage in parks reminding owners that failing to pick up after dogs violates city law.
Another measure, introduced by Councilmember Shahana Hanif, would create an educational campaign emphasizing responsibility.
“It’s very important to understand that, as a dog guardian, if I leave the poop, I’m adding to the dangers and risks of a public health issue,” Hanif said.
The proposals follow increased complaints during winter storms, when dog waste accumulated in snow piles across neighborhoods.
Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé delivered a blunt message to dog owners after a surge of complaints about waste on neighborhood streets.
Representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and parts of Crown Heights, the 27-year-old lawmaker posted a graphic on Instagram with a simple directive:
“Pick up your f--king dog shit.”
He followed it with a video addressing residents directly, citing frustration from constituents who have raised concerns about sanitation conditions across the district.
“Do you want the government to go to your house and wipe your ass?” Ossé said.
Speaking with visible frustration, he pointed to recent sanitation challenges following a late-January snowstorm, which delayed trash collection and left debris and waste trapped in slushy piles.
Ossé urged residents to report problem areas while emphasizing personal responsibility.
“If you know dirty streets that need extra attention, call my office,” he said, before reiterating his core message: “But clean up your dog shit.”
Testing of snow piles has found common contaminants, including waste and debris typically cleared by weather, adding urgency to calls for both city action and individual compliance.
New York City’s “Pooper Scooper” law, enacted in 1978, mandates cleanup and carries fines of up to $250. Enforcement remains rare.
Officials issued two summonses last year, and former acting sanitation commissioner Javier Lojan said catching violations is unlikely.
“The chances of someone not picking up after their dog while an enforcement officer is watching is very, very slim,” he said.
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