The headline of this article isn’t clickbait. It’s an actual campaign currently active in New York City.
It’s 2022, and what would seem to be basic dog etiquette of cleaning up after your dog is not happening in New York.
With rents on the rise, crime skyrocketing, and increasing homelessness, fed-up New Yorkers are also dealing with dog poop.
Complaints about dog poop left on city sidewalks by dog owners and walkers on Manhattan’s West Side have not gone unheard by New York City’s Sanitation Department.
The Department of Sanitation announced plans for stricter enforcement of the city’s “Curb Your Dog” law for dog owners who don’t clean up their pet’s poop from city streets, parks, and sidewalks.
“Keeping New York City clean is a ruff job, and any New York dog owner who thinks they can ignore their responsibilities is barking up the wrong tree,” sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement about the increase in dog poop complaints in N.Y.C., per the New York Post.
Tisch added that sanitation officers would be looking for pet owners who fail to clean up after their dogs. Those who don’t pick up their pup’s poop will be hit with up to a $250 fine under the city’s “Curb Your Dog” law, which was passed back in 1978.
“Our enforcement agents may not collar people over this, but they won’t just roll over, either — they will write tickets,” Tisch continued. “Bagging and properly disposing of pet waste shows you respect your neighbors and your sanitation workers, and we thank councilmember Bottcher for working to bring this problem to heel.”
City Councilman Erik Bottcher publically introduced the new “There Is No Poop Fairy” campaign, which encourages pet owners to do their part to keep N.Y.C. clean of dog poop. Bottcher called the issue more than a “minor inconvenience” and urged New Yorkers to be more responsible.
The poop problem is known to be in the neighborhoods of Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Greenwich Village.
“There is no poop fairy. Your dog’s mess is not going to magically disappear. Please pick up after your dog! It’s the right thing to do,” Bottcher tweeted.
The no Poop Fairy campaign appears on digital billboards to coincide with the DSNY Enforcement Unit’s crackdown to increase public awareness.
Many residents on the West Side have their dogs walked by professionals — some of whom may not be bothered to pick up pup poop as they wrangle a half-dozen dogs.
In addition to dog owners, dog walkers may be responsible for increased dropped droppings and paying fines.
Responsible pet owners agree that people who don’t clean up after their dog maybe shouldn’t own a dog.
New Yorkers hope to see cleaner sidewalks due to the ‘There Is No Poop Fairy’ campaign and increased enforcement.
h/t People.com, New York Post
