NYC’s most poop-filled areas revealed — as dog waste complaints hit record highs
A filthy, virtually unwalkable Big Apple corridor littered with steaming piles of dog poo-minefields has blown up on social media. Stephen Yang for NY Post
New York City’s winter mess isn’t just snow and slush — sidewalks blanketed in dog poop are turning neighborhoods into near-impassable zones, with complaints to the city reaching unprecedented numbers.
A video of a foul stretch of Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx’s Mott Haven neighborhood went viral Monday, showing sidewalks layered in dog waste as pet owners continue to skip scooping after their animals. Residents say the snowstorms and Arctic deepfreeze made the problem worse, leaving piles of waste hidden until melted snow exposed the mess.
“It’s horrible — garbage and poop everywhere,” said 28-year-old Mott Haven resident Lulu Gerena, walking her Beagle-mix Pinkie along the stench-filled street. “It’s not fair, because everybody has to step in the poop, and nobody is picking it up.”
Citywide, 311 received 643 dog waste complaints between the snowstorm on Jan. 25 and Tuesday — nearly double the 332 complaints during the same period last year, and up 160% from just two weeks earlier. “This is the worst it has ever been,” said 31-year-old dog owner Ryan F., attributing the surge to new housing developments in Mott Haven that brought more dogs to the area.
“Before the snow, it wasn’t that bad,” added 45-year-old Bronx resident Jsun. “When it’s cold, people just want to get out — no one’s digging through the snow to pick it up.”
Ironically, the viral Bronx block isn’t even among the city’s most complained-about streets. According to city data, the highest number of complaints went to 49th Street in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park and Fort Washington Avenue in Washington Heights, with 28 complaints each since Jan. 25. Washington Heights led all neighborhoods with 66 complaints in total, followed by Sunset Park, Flatbush, Midwood, Kensington, Central Harlem, and Highbridge.
City officials and residents alike are voicing their frustration. Brooklyn Councilman Chi Ossé urged pet owners on X to “Pick up your dog s–t,” while Councilwoman Shahana Hanif highlighted the public health risk: “Dog waste spreads bacteria, pollutes streets and waterways, and creates unsafe conditions, especially for seniors and people with disabilities. Not picking it up isn’t just gross — it’s dangerous.”
The surge in complaints coincides with a period when the city’s sanitation department focused on snow removal and issued no dog waste violations since Jan. 25. Despite warmer temperatures this week, nearly 70 new complaints were reported to 311 on Tuesday alone.
Enforcing the city’s Pooper Scooper Law remains challenging. A Department of Sanitation representative explained that officers rarely catch owners in the act, and special patrols have produced almost no summonses. “People only leave piles behind when they know no one is watching,” the rep said.
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