These NYC zip codes have the most dog poop complaints—and the fewest free bags
According to newly released complaint data obtained by Gothamist, New York City saw 1,622 dog-waste-related calls in the first half of 2025, up from 1,426 during the same period last year. And while the city's half-century-old 'pooper scooper law' makes it illegal not to clean up after your dog (with fines up to $250), enforcement is rare. Only eight tickets have been issued in the past two years.
But it turns out many of the city's most poop-plagued zip codes have something else in common: a serious lack of public dog-waste bag dispensers.
In Washington Heights' 10032 zip code—this year's reigning champion of dog poop complaints—there isn't a single free dispenser. Yet 160 complaints were logged there, a whopping 740% increase from 2024. Even worse? More than 130 of them came from just two blocks on Riverside Drive. Locals like Jacqueline Zelaya say the mess is more than an eyesore—it's a health hazard. 'Sometimes you see that somebody's dog has a really big accident,' she told Gothamist. 'I joke with my kids and call it elephant poop.'
Flatbush's 11226 zip code came in second, with 51 complaints and only two dispensers, while third-place 11691 in Far Rockaway reported 37 complaints and 12 dispensers.
Citywide, 51 of NYC's 145 zip codes don't have any bag dispensers at all, despite the Parks Department having installed over 1,100 since 2017. Councilmember Julie Menin introduced legislation to require bag dispensers on every public trash can, but the bill has stalled amid inter-department squabbling over whether they should go on bins or bus-stop benches.
Meanwhile, frustrated residents are taking matters into their own hands, literally. Zelaya and her neighbor Jose Gomez hang plastic bags from scaffolding to encourage scooping. 'If there were dispensers on the block,' Gomez said, 'there'd be no excuse.'
Experts say shame still works best. 'Dog owners can be seen as this informal network, and informal networks kind of have a way of policing themselves,' said Caroline Scruggs, a professor who studies urban planning and public behavior. And while the law exists, the culture of compliance needs a nudge, maybe in the form of a lavender-scented poop bag.
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These NYC zip codes have the most dog poop complaints—and the fewest free bags
New Yorkers have a lot to say about the city's growing poop problem—and they're dialing 311 to prove it. According to newly released complaint data obtained by Gothamist, New York City saw 1,622 dog-waste-related calls in the first half of 2025, up from 1,426 during the same period last year. And while the city's half-century-old 'pooper scooper law' makes it illegal not to clean up after your dog (with fines up to $250), enforcement is rare. Only eight tickets have been issued in the past two years. But it turns out many of the city's most poop-plagued zip codes have something else in common: a serious lack of public dog-waste bag dispensers. In Washington Heights' 10032 zip code—this year's reigning champion of dog poop complaints—there isn't a single free dispenser. Yet 160 complaints were logged there, a whopping 740% increase from 2024. Even worse? More than 130 of them came from just two blocks on Riverside Drive. Locals like Jacqueline Zelaya say the mess is more than an eyesore—it's a health hazard. 'Sometimes you see that somebody's dog has a really big accident,' she told Gothamist. 'I joke with my kids and call it elephant poop.' Flatbush's 11226 zip code came in second, with 51 complaints and only two dispensers, while third-place 11691 in Far Rockaway reported 37 complaints and 12 dispensers. Citywide, 51 of NYC's 145 zip codes don't have any bag dispensers at all, despite the Parks Department having installed over 1,100 since 2017. Councilmember Julie Menin introduced legislation to require bag dispensers on every public trash can, but the bill has stalled amid inter-department squabbling over whether they should go on bins or bus-stop benches. Meanwhile, frustrated residents are taking matters into their own hands, literally. Zelaya and her neighbor Jose Gomez hang plastic bags from scaffolding to encourage scooping. 'If there were dispensers on the block,' Gomez said, 'there'd be no excuse.' Experts say shame still works best. 'Dog owners can be seen as this informal network, and informal networks kind of have a way of policing themselves,' said Caroline Scruggs, a professor who studies urban planning and public behavior. And while the law exists, the culture of compliance needs a nudge, maybe in the form of a lavender-scented poop bag.
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