Atlas (left) and Reed (right) are the newest members of the Governors Island working dogs.
Photos courtesy of The Trust for Governors Island
Move over rats, there’s a new eyesore stressing out New Yorkers: piles of puppy poop.
The City Council is looking to do something to get rid of the smelly sight. On Wednesday, the Council’s Sanitation Committee received a bill that would require the Sanitation Department (DSNY) to step in and help New Yorkers curb their dogs properly.
City Council Member Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) introduced the bill, dubbed Int. 0281-2024, which would require the DSNY to install dog-waste bag dispensers on public litter baskets in all the boroughs to help alleviate the city of its crappy situation. The bins would be affixed to litter baskets and packed with clean bags that dog walkers can use to pick up the waste and place in the trash.
Danielle Avissar, an Upper East Side resident, is leading the charge on the discharge along with Menin. During the committee meeting, Avissar said she’s “sick and tired” of New Yorkers not curbing their dogs.
“There are irresponsible pet owners that are not taking care of their animals, just leaving dog waste all over the place,” she said. “It really degrades our neighborhoods. We’re constantly looking down, we can’t look up at the buildings and appreciate the beauty around us. I’m constantly telling my kids to dodge buckets of waste that we see on the street.”
Another Manhattan resident said she constantly sees “numerous instances” of dog waste when she’s out with her toddler.
“This waste is not just unsightly,” she said. “It frequently ends up on the wheels of my child’s stroller, an issue that becomes distressing once it is inadvertently carried into our home.”
A growing problem since COVID pet boom
Avissar blames the increase of poop piles on the mass numbers of people who adopted dogs during the pandemic.
“It’s the post-COVID…
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