FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 15, 2023
CONTACT:
Isaac Andino
iandino@council.nyc.gov,
646-907-2658
City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers and Local Students Unveil New LinkNYC “Scoop the Poop” Dog PSA Campaign
The new campaign will run through the Upper East Side and encourage the community to pick up after their canine companions
Today, City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers and the Ramaz School gathered to unveil a new, colorful public service announcement campaign on the importance of picking up after your dog. No one enjoys seeing dog waste on the sidewalk, or even worse, stepping on it. Unfortunately, 311 logged over 2,100 complaints related to dog waste last year and this figure was up 31% as of April 2023. The campaign will appear on LinkNYC kiosks in Council District 4 and encourages people to take the #ScoopThePoop Pledge promising to pick up after their dogs. They also have the option to upload a photo of their dog and choose among multiple background filters. These new dog photos will appear on the PSA campaign in the coming months, providing everyone the opportunity to see their four-legged friends up on the big screen.
Apart from the aesthetic issues, undiscarded dog feces is also a public health concern that must be addressed. In January, researchers at Marymount Manhattan College determined that New York City sidewalks are “rampant” with feces. An average travel-sized bottle of pooled rainwater was found to contain 31,000 traces of fecal bacteria. While this campaign may be playful, it is tackling a serious, stinky issue.
“This is a pet peeve of every New Yorker,” said City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers. “The launch of this campaign reminds us all of a simple action we can take to improve our neighborhoods: scoop the poop. I am excited to have worked with local students to make this PSA a reality and local forward to seeing which dogs will be on next month’s version of the PSA.”
Most importantly, this long-planned PSA campaign is an opportunity to show the next generation the importance of using their voice and the results that their activism can have. It is a bottom-up effort in which the students were instrumental in the concepting and the creation of the Pledge. The PSA campaign is a real partnership meant to teach children about civic engagement and fostering relationships with local officials.
“Together with Council Majority Leader Keith Powers, we want to empower students to engage in civic life, helping them understand that they can make a difference, through acts of kindness, working together and taking responsibility,” said Gabrielle Gononsky, Director of Design Thinking and Ruth Gafni, Director of N-8
“No matter how much one loves dogs, there are few things less pleasant as a pedestrian than accidentally stepping in dog poop,” said State Senator Liz Krueger. “I am so pleased to see Ramaz students taking the lead on an important and creative civic campaign to remind New Yorkers that we all share a basic responsibility to keep our neighborhoods clean, and free of dog poop that is both unsightly and a public health hazard.”
“Any campaign that results in seeing more pictures of dogs and less waste on our streets passes the smell test,” said Assemblymember Alex Bores.
“Madison Avenue is a “dog friendly” shopping destination, and you cannot walk too far in our district without seeing a water bowl for our furry friends placed outside by one of our merchants,” said Matthew Bauer, President of the Madison Avenue BID. “Unfortunately, sometimes even well-meaning dog owners miss the mark, and we thank Council Member Powers, Senator Krueger and the students of The Ramaz School for their support for keeping our sidewalks clean.”
“Clean sidewalks are a paramount quality of life concern on UES and we are happy to work together with our electeds to remind and encourage dog owning New Yorkers to keep our sidewalks poop-free; it is a matter of respecting your neighbors both human and canine.” said Valerie Mason, President of the East 72nd Street Association.
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Council Member Keith Powers represents New York City’s Council District 4, covering Carnegie Hill, Central Park South, Garment District, Koreatown, Midtown East, Midtown West, Murray Hill, Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town, Sutton Place, Times Square, Tudor City, Turtle Bay, Upper East Side, and Waterside Plaza. He currently serves as Majority Leader of the City Council and Chair of the Rules, Privileges, and Elections Committee. In the district, Council Member Powers has worked hard on important issues focused on the future of the East Side. In 2019, Council Member Powers helped pass the historic affordable housing deal at Waterside Plaza, which secured affordable units at Waterside Plaza through the year 2098. In addition, he has delivered long-term storm protections on the East River, championed the 14th Street Busway, created hundreds of new supportive housing units for homeless New Yorkers, and secured hundreds of millions of dollars in transit improvements in Midtown.