Hamilton Heights just might be the crappiest neighborhood in the Big Apple.
Residents of the Upper Manhattan community are howling over brazen dog walkers and pet owners refusing to pick up after their pups and contributing to an ever-growing minefield of doo-doo.
Complaints to the 311 hotline about dog poop citywide have surged by 17% this year, up to 1,383 reports as of June 30, compared to 1,186 during the same period in 2022.
The 10031 zip code, which is made up almost entirely of Hamilton Heights, ranks first — with 37 complaints so far this year, compared to just four during the same period in 2022, the data shows.
“In this neighborhood, people don’t complain,” resident Freddie Cottes, 51, said. “It’s a tough area, it’s not like snowflakes — so if they’re complaining, it’s bad.”
Freddie Cottes, 51, said the smelly situation must be really bad if people in his neighborhood are actively complain Helayne Seidman
Maria Llobet, 33, said that the city refilling free poop bag stations could help with the scourge of dog turds on the streets. Helayne Seidman“The poop is epic here,” added resident Elizabeth McGuire, 34, before picking up a deuce left by her pooch, Rudy. “It’s a lot of Covid puppies, resulting in more poop.”
One fed-up neighbor posted on Next Door that confronting people who fail to pick up pet droppings has proven ineffective.
Some residents blamed the spike in dog droppings on the pandemic puppy boom. Helayne SeidmanAfter the Hamilton Heights resident ripped into a dog walker for leaving behind their Boston Terrier’s turds, the arrogant man picked up the poop with a bag and chucked it into the street.
“[What the f–k] is wrong with dog owners around here?!” the resident said. “I just don’t get it!”
Many residents blamed the smelly spike on spotty city enforcement.
One fed-up neighbor posted on Next Door that confronting people who fail to pick up pet droppings has proven ineffective. Helayne Seidman“There’s no example of someone being fined or punished for that behavior, so people think it’s ok,” Daniel Hobbs, 49, said.
Failure to pick up a dog’s excrement is punishable by a maximum $250 fine, which is doled out by the Sanitation Department’s 270 inspectors.
The agency declined to comment on the latest dog dump data, but earlier this year promised to crack down on the mess.
Many residents howled that a lack of enforcement by the sanitation department has emboldened dog owners to refrain from picking up after their pups. Helayne Seidman“Keeping New York City clean is a ruff job, and any dog owner who thinks they can ignore their responsibilities is barking up the wrong tree,” Jessica S. Tisch, commissioner of the Department of Sanitation, previously told The Post.
City Councilman Shaun Abreu, who represents Hamilton Heights, told The Post he is exploring various initiatives, including signs, fines, and dog poop bag locations.
He said, “No one wants to put up with this s–t.”
