{"id":216679,"date":"2026-05-01T14:42:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216679\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T14:42:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:42:08","slug":"new-york-city-council-proposes-new-laws-to-tackle-dog-poop-on-city-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/216679\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City Council proposes new laws to tackle dog poop on city streets"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story was originally published by THE CITY. Sign up<\/a> to get the latest New York City news<\/a> delivered to you each morning. Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat\u2019s free New York City newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They want to curb your dog.<\/p>\n

The New York City Council on Thursday introduced a package of bills aimed at helping the scourge of dog poop<\/a> that intensified during weeks of feces-strewn snow piles this winter.<\/p>\n

The four bills, which will have hearings in the coming weeks, focused on both outreach and other ways to make it easier for dog owners to pick up after their four-legged friends.<\/p>\n

Speaker Julie Menin reintroduced a bill<\/a> she first proposed in 2024 that would require the sanitation department to regularly fill dog waste bag dispensers on or next to every public litter basket on city streets. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that dog waste is an enormous issue,\u201d the speaker said before the bills were introduced. <\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the sanitation department, Vincent Gragnani, said the agency has previously made it clear it doesn\u2019t have the resources to stock the bag dispensers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a community partner to maintain these. We don\u2019t have the resources to keep these stocked daily, and our intention was that a local community group, or the local Council member would take on the responsibility of keeping the dispensers full,\u201d he said in an email to THE CITY.<\/p>\n

Another bill<\/a> introduced by Councilmember Harvey Epstein, a Manhattan Democrat, would create a pilot program to compost dog waste left at dog runs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big composter in this city, I really focused on making sure we understand that we have the opportunity to reduce waste and do waste diversion,\u201d he told THE CITY.<\/p>\n

He takes his mutt, Homer, to local dog runs and isn\u2019t able to compost the poo \u2014 which he said is a waste. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a real opportunity to do something about ensuring that we divert that from trash and make it into compost,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

A handful<\/a> of New York City dog runs have composting for dog feces, but it\u2019s not universal. And it can\u2019t be disposed of in regular brown compost bins and must instead go into the trash, a sanitation department spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to understand that, as a dog guardian, if I leave the poop, I\u2019m adding to the dangers and risks of a public health issue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 \u00a0New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif<\/p>\n

Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse, a Brooklyn Democrat, introduced a bill<\/a> that would require signs posted at parks reminding people it\u2019s illegal to not pick up after your dog. <\/p>\n

And another bill<\/a>, from Brooklyn Democratic Council Member Shahana Hanif, would create an educational initiative making sure New Yorkers know \u201cit\u2019s their duty\u201d to pick up waste, she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to understand that, as a dog guardian, if I leave the poop, I\u2019m adding to the dangers and risks of a public health issue,\u201d Hanif said.<\/p>\n

She and other Council members spoke out on social media<\/a> during winter storms when human owners didn\u2019t pick up after their pets.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s illegal to not clean up after your dog. The city\u2019s \u201cPooper Scooper\u201d law was enacted in 1978, thanks in part to the advocacy of Fran Lee, a New Yorker who had become obsessed with the public health issue of dog waste. <\/p>\n

If caught, the fines are up to $250.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s nearly impossible to ever catch anyone in the act, the city\u2019s former acting sanitation commissioner admitted during budget testimony this year. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe chances of someone not picking up after their dog while an enforcement officer is watching is very, very slim,\u201d Javier Lojan said, adding that they even set up stings to catch people in areas with a lot of complaints \u2014 and came up short.<\/p>\n

They issued just two summonses for failure to remove canine waste last year, despite many complaints citywide.<\/p>\n

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Katie Honan is a senior reporter for THE CITY and co-host of FAQ NYC podcast.<\/p>\n