Hanif speaks on citywide dog waste education campaign

Thank you.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Councilmember Shahana Hanif.

I chair the Disabilities Committee.

I am thrilled that today the Council will be passing

Intro 872A, my legislation creating a citywide multilingual dog waste education campaign.

Thank you to Speaker Menon, my colleagues on the council, and the advocates who worked alongside us to make this legislation part of the SCOOP Act package and to pass that package today.

Let me just first start by saying I love dogs.

We all know New York City has a dog poop problem.

We've seen it, we've smelled it, and unfortunately, many of us have stepped in it.

But this is more about an unpleasant sidewalk experience.

Dog waste is a serious public health hazard and environmental hazard.

According to the EPA and CDC, pet waste can pollute our waterways and spread harmful bacteria and parasites, including E.

Coli, salmonella, and roundworm.

And while many New Yorkers know they're supposed to pick up after their dogs, not everyone understands the public health consequences when they don't.

That's why this bill takes an important step, educating New Yorkers about why picking up after our pets matters

and their legal obligation to do so, and making sure that information is accessible in multiple languages.

And importantly, this legislation will also help us understand whether the campaign is actually working.

This bill...

includes a report evaluating its effectiveness and incorporates 311 data on reports and sightings of dog waste.

That means we'll have real data to help us measure progress and identify where additional education may be needed.

This is what effective city government should look like, addressing a problem New Yorkers experience every single day, investing in education and using data to make sure our solutions are actually working.

Every New Yorker deserves sidewalks that are clean, safe, and accessible, and every dog guardian owner has a role to play in keeping our neighborhoods that way.

Thank you again, and I'm thrilled to be passing this legislation today.