NYC Council Unveils Scoop Act After Dog Waste Complaints Top 2,400 in 2026

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 6

More than 2,400 dog-waste complaints have already hit New York City this year, prompting council members to introduce the Scoop Act to curb a problem residents say is worsening.
The package would require regular refills of waste-bag dispensers, add penalty signs, launch a composting pilot for dog feces and fund outreach on health risks from uncollected waste.
Enforcement has produced little: the sanitation department issued just two summonses in 2025, and patrols in complaint-heavy areas including Washington Heights failed to catch violators in the act.
Washington Heights has been a flashpoint, with 175 complaints this year versus 116 in the next-highest community board, while citywide complaints rose from 2,100 in 2022 to 2,659 in 2025.
Officials and residents tie the surge partly to rising dog ownership after the pandemic, though some frustrated New Yorkers argue the city must enforce its existing fines of up to $250 more aggressively.