Overview
- New Yorkers filed 643 dog-waste complaints to 311 since Jan. 25, roughly 94% more than the same period last year, with nearly 70 logged in a single recent day.
- Washington Heights recorded the most complaints citywide, while 49th Street in Sunset Park and Fort Washington Avenue each drew 28 since the storm, with additional clusters in Flatbush, Midwood, Kensington, Central Harlem and Highbridge.
- DSNY reports issuing no violations since Jan. 25 as resources shifted to snow removal, noting enforcement requires catching offenders in the act and that special patrols have yielded almost no summonses after just two in 2025.
- The EPA classifies pet waste as a pollutant because snowmelt can carry bacteria and parasites into storm drains and waterways, elevating public‑health concerns.
- City officials publicly urged owners to comply under a law allowing fines up to $250, while sanitation leaders say they are considering mobile cameras to identify violators, as viral clips from Mott Haven highlight the problem.