Dog waste complaints spark support for new city council legislation

A package of city council bills aimed at reducing dog waste on city streets is drawing support from some Riverdale residents, though questions remain about whether the policies can change the behavior of dog owners who already ignore existing laws.

The Safe and Clean Outdoor Ownership Practices Act, known as the SCOOP Act, was introduced May 15 following a spike in dog waste complaints citywide after a winter marked by consecutive snowstorms.

The legislative package would expand access to dog waste bags, increase public education efforts and strengthen responses to repeated complaints.

In City Council District 11 — which includes, Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Norwood, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield, Woodlawn and Bedford Park — residents filed between 60 and 90 complaints between January and May 2026, with ZIP codes 10471 and 10463 each accounting for roughly 35 complaints during that period.

Residents interviewed by The Press pointed to recurring trouble spots in heavily trafficked pedestrian areas throughout greater Riverdale where dog owners regularly walk their pets. Several described conditions as particularly unpleasant after January’s snowstorms, when weeks of accumulated waste emerged as snowbanks began to melt.

For Jason Bunin, a Riverdale dog owner who lives near West 235th Street, the problem became especially noticeable during those weeks.

“When people start treating the neighborhood disrespectfully and just leaving dog waste, it gets frustrating,” Bunin said. “One of the reasons we live in Riverdale is because it’s beautiful. I love the community, I love the neighborhood, I love the parks.”

Bunin said carefully navigating some sidewalks became necessary to avoid piles of waste left behind after the snow. As a dog owner himself, he said irresponsible behavior by a minority of pet owners reflects poorly on everyone else.

“It’s a responsibility,” Bunin said. “If you take on a pet, you’re taking on a responsibility.”

City lawmakers say the SCOOP Act is intended to address both the practical and behavioral sides of the problem, making cleanup supplies easier to access while reminding pet owners of their obligations.

The legislation consists of five separate bills. One measure would require the department of sanitation to install and regularly refill dog waste bag dispensers on or adjacent to every public litter basket on city streets.

Another would establish a pilot program to collect dog waste from parks department dog runs for composting.

Additional proposals would require public education campaigns about the health and environmental impacts of uncollected dog waste, increase signage in parks and public spaces, and create new sanitation procedures for blocks that receive repeated complaints.

Under one bill, if DSNY receives at least three complaints about dog waste on the same block within seven days, the department would be required to either remove the waste or notify property owners of their obligation to do so and issue violations if they fail to comply.

Council member Eric Dinowitz  , among the city council members in support of the bill, said dog waste complaints increased somewhat after the winter storms but have not been among the most common issues reported to his office.

“There was some additional concern around the snowstorm, because there was poop left on the ground and the snow covered it,” Dinowitz said. “It’s not one of the top complaints  we get.”

Still, Dinowitz said legislation alone cannot solve the problem.

“We can provide all the free bags in the world, but they’re meaningless unless people choose to clean up after their dogs,” he said. “The neighborhood belongs to all of us.”

Longtime North Riverdale resident Anna Purves said the issue of dog waste has ebbed and flowed over the years.

She recalled seeing significant accumulations of dog waste after winter storms, particularly in areas around Marble Hill and sections of Post Road. Yet this spring, she said, conditions seem somewhat improved compared with earlier in the year.

Even so, she said one of the most frustrating aspects of the problem is how rarely residents actually witness violations taking place.

“Every time I see someone walking the dog, they pick it up,” Purves said. “I don’t catch anybody in the act.”

That challenge has also complicated enforcement efforts.

In a statement, a DSNY spokesperson said summonses are difficult to issue because enforcement officers must directly observe a dog owner failing to remove their dog’s waste.

“The chances of someone not picking up after their dog while an enforcement officer is watching is very, very slim,” the spokesperson said.

According to the department, a three-day enforcement stakeout in Mott Haven in 2024 resulted in just one summons. Weeklong patrols in Washington Heights, Harlem, Morningside Heights and Flatbush in 2025 produced none. Citywide, DSNY issued only two summonses for failure to remove canine waste during 2025.

“It is clear that people only leave piles behind when they know no one is watching,” the spokesperson said.

Daniel Rowen, chair of Community Board 8’s Environment and Sanitation Committee, said conditions deteriorated significantly during the coldest weeks of winter before improving considerably this spring.

“It was horrible when it was super cold this winter,” Rowen said. “People just sort of were like, it’s too cold, and stopped completely.”

Rowen said the community board received a noticeable increase in complaints during that period, prompting discussions about both enforcement and public education.

In April, he said, DSNY informed Community Board 8 that it had begun a pilot program attaching dog waste bags to existing litter baskets in certain areas while conducting educational outreach about proper disposal practices. He added that there are currently no cameras used to monitor dog waste violations in the district.

The community board has also distributed dog waste bag holders and educational materials at neighborhood events in an effort to encourage responsible pet ownership.

The proposal to place dog waste bag dispensers at litter baskets has also drawn attention to another issue: the baskets themselves.

The Press identified a number of locations in Community Board 8 where litter baskets shown on DSNY’s online map appeared to be missing. 

Residents and community board members said the absence of trash cans may discourage proper disposal, particularly along popular walking routes.

“There’s not a lot of public receptacles,” Bunin said. “People just figure they don’t want to carry it, so they’re just going to leave it.”

A DSNY spokesperson acknowledged that some of the department’s approximately 23,000 litter baskets periodically go missing.

“We do our best to replace them as we notice them or as they are reported,” the spokesperson said.

For longtime dog owner Linda Goodman, however, the biggest obstacle is not access to bags or trash cans.

Goodman, who owned dogs before New York State’s original Pooper Scooper Law took effect in 1978, said most dog owners already understand what is expected of them. The law requires owners to clean up after their pets in public spaces, with fines of up to $250 for violations. But enforcement can be difficult, she said, because offenders generally must be caught in the act.

“Nobody likes stepping in dog poop,” Goodman said. “The people who don’t clean up don’t like it, so you do it right.”

She questioned whether additional bag dispensers would significantly change the behavior of those who already ignore the rules.

“If you’re not going to clean up after your dog, and you’re in the park, you’re not going to go over to a trash can and grab a bag,” Goodman said.

For residents like Goodman, the challenge has remained largely unchanged since New York adopted its original Pooper Scooper Law nearly five decades ago. Rules, signs and bags may help, she said, but courtesy is harder to legislate.