Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal releases Manhattan Dog Waste Report Card; First in series of neighborhood report cards on quality-of-life concerns

NEW YORK, NY – Today, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal announced the release of a new borough report detailing a record-breaking spike in 311 complaints related to dog waste on Manhattan’s streets. The report, compiled in partnership with Beta NYC, found that the 2025–26 winter was the worst on record for dog waste complaints in six years of data. February 2026 stood as the single highest month in that entire period, approximately double the same month in 2025. A single day in February 2026 set the all-time record for dog waste complaints in one day.

The report found that Manhattanites must do more to clean up after their pets, and, at the same time, the city must do more to build out the infrastructure needed to curb dog waste. Of particular concern, the report found a direct link between public litter basket coverage and dog waste complaint rates: blocks with few or no public litter baskets show dog waste complaint rates nearly three times as high as well-served blocks. The report also found that of the approximately 200 waste bag dispensers the city installed in 2018,

only 25 remain active today, and zero are located anywhere in Upper Manhattan. Finally, the report identified a clear link between dog waste and increased rat sightings, as uncollected waste is a documented food source for rats.

The report also found a disproportionate number of 311 complaints between Upper and Lower Manhattan. The report assigns each of Manhattan’s 12 community boards a letter grade based on its dog waste complaint rate relative to overall 311 activity. Community Board 12 received the worst grade, a D, with a dog waste complaint rate 17.3 times higher than the best-performing boards. Despite this, Upper Manhattan has zero bag dispensers and inadequate litter basket coverage. The top 10 blocks in CB 12 alone account for roughly 25% of the district’s total dog waste complaints, pointing to specific addresses where targeted basket installation would have an outsized effect.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said: “Our new report provides comparative data among neighborhoods of one of Manhattan’s most vexing quality of life problems: dog waste collection. While, of course, dog owners must do more to pick up after their pets, our report shows other strategies that can be effective, too. For example, there is a correlation between Upper Manhattan having the most dog waste 311 complaints and there being fewer trash bins and virtually no dog waste bag dispensers available for the community’s use. I’m eager to tackle this problem with DSNY and the City Council, both of which have prioritized the collection of dog waste to keep our streets and sidewalks clean. “

Key takeaways from the report include:

• Blocks with few or no public litter baskets have dog waste complaint rates nearly three times as high as well-served blocks. When there is nowhere nearby to dispose of waste, residents leave it on the street.
• Dog waste complaints are strongly seasonal, peaking in late winter and early spring (February–March) and bottoming out in fall (October–November). Enforcement and outreach timed to begin in November or December would have more impact than a response mounted after the peak has already arrived.
• The dog waste share of Manhattan’s 311 activity has been rising gradually since mid-2022, with February 2026 breaking sharply above even that rising baseline.
• February 2026 was the highest month for dog waste complaints in six years of data, running approximately double the same month in 2025. A single day in February 2026 set the all-time record for dog waste complaints in one day.
• Dog waste and rat sightings go together. Neighborhoods with more dog waste complaints also tend to have more rat sightings.

The BP’s dog waste report card is the first in a series of neighborhood report cards to be released utilizing 311 data to quantify and improve quality-of-life concerns facing Manhattanites.

Read the full dog waste report here.

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