Dog Waste Complaints Rise in Washington Heights
A neighborhood known for its natural landscapes and vibrant community is now leading the city in dog-waste complaints.
NEW YORK —Washington Heights residents have a bone to pick with what’s piling up on its sidewalks.
According to 311 data, the neighborhood has recorded more dog-waste complaints this year than any other area. There were 1,622 dog-waste complaints in the first half of this year, compared with 1,426 in the first half of 2024 and 1,392 in the first half of 2023.
Washington Heights residents say there’s no shortage of dog-waste outside and see it not just on curbs but also in front of buildings and garden pits.
“It’s absolutely bizarre. Why is there so much dog poop everywhere?” Washington Heights resident Hillary Rovins said, pointing to a landmine several feet away.
Rovins works as a real estate agent and often travels through other neighborhoods for work, but she says the dog-waste issue in Washington Heights is easy to spot. She jokes she can tell she has entered the neighborhood by just looking at the ground.
“Where’s the sense of community, guys?” Rovins said, shaking her head. “Why isn’t the city giving out tickets?”
Under the city’s Pooper Scooper Law, created in 1978, dog owners can be fined up to $250 for failing to clean up after their pets. The Department of Sanitation website states New Yorkers can request surveillance in areas where dog waste is a recurring problem. Yet despite that, and the more than 1,622 dog-waste complaints made to 311 citywide in 2025, public records show only eight tickets have been issued citywide over the past two years.
While some residents want stricter enforcement, others say they believe the solution requires a different approach. Washington Heights resident Chip Beckwith agrees the sidewalks have worsened, but he says community-driven communication may be more effective than relying solely on fines.
“What if we do a public-health campaign specifically for Washington Heights? It could work,” Beckwith suggested.
Other residents have adjusted to the conditions. Healthcare worker Mark Melendez, said they’ve simply adjusted. Walking home from his night shift at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, Melendez said he has learned to accept the dog droppings on the sidewalks.
“Yeah, it’s everywhere,” he said with a laugh. “But I just keep it moving.”
But for those who spend much of their workday outside, the issue might directly affect their daily routines. Veteran dog walker Pamela Thompson said the dog poop influences which routes she takes with her clients’ dogs. After two decades working in the neighborhood, she knows some streets off-limits, including 181st Street and Cabrini Avenue.
“Me and the other dog walkers have a name for one of the streets around here that… Poop Alley.”
Thompson says a big reason people leave dog poop behind is simply that they don’t have easy access to bags. She noticed it became a bigger problem after New York’s ban on single-use plastic bag distribution went into effect five years ago.
“When shops stopped giving out grocery bags, everyone was like, What am I going to do? I have a dog? That’s when it got worse” she said.
According to 311 data, 51 ZIP codes have zero public dog-waste bag dispensers. Washington Heights’ 10032 ZIP code, which leads to dog-waste complaints, is one of those ZIP codes.
By Christine Saldana
