New York City – So Much Grass, But No Where To Go!

By Amy Fernandez

NYC has this weird love/hate relationship with dogs. Based on statistics, New Yorkers own an enormous number of dogs of every shape and size. Our unfortunate lack of local dog shows is due to logistical barriers rather than local enthusiasm. That’s unfortunate because every type of canine related event is guaranteed to draw crowds. When Covid canceled the annual canine costume contest at Tompkins Square Park, it was big news.  Since its return, the event has expanded far beyond event planners’ expectations. AKC discovered this when they first ventured in the Meet the Breeds concept. Those early events at Madison Square Park were pretty freeform, but they drew massive crowds. So, we know the love part of the story is there.

Then there’s the other side of the deal. Canine roommates, despite their ubiquity, continue to pose a real barrier to renters. Sadly, this senseless rule explains why a sizeable number of pets have been surrendered to shelters in the past year. Really, the rate of shelter surrenders is a pretty good predictor of the state of the national economy.  Not fair, but not the only nonsense.

NYC made history when it enacted the first “clean up after your dog” legislation. Obviously, people should not require legal penalties to encourage hygienic, civil behavior. But they did need legal prompting and it worked. The big fine provided motivation and similar statutes have since been enacted all over the country. At this point, New York owners are scrupulous about this and just to make sure, signs are posted everywhere as reminders. So, there’s that. But so far, there is no city ordinance about dog pee. Yes, the reality is that NYC is a pee for all zone.

You may be thinking that’s what fire hydrants are for.  But apparently, there are quite a few residents objecting to this lack of pee restrictions. According to a recent New York Times story this discontent has spawned a lucrative amateur sign business. These signs run the gamut as far as courtesy and outright threats, but basically, they say something like don’t pee here. Some are enhanced with creative illustrations of the crime in progress.

 Like most issues, there are two sides to this one. Dog pee kills plants and preventing your dog from peeing on someone’s lawn is just common sense. On the other hand, anyone who has walked dogs knows how difficult it is to predict that stop and pee moment. Thanks to the ubiquity of doorbell surveillance, that unanticipated pee moment may also include a confrontation with an enraged resident.

So, this is playing out. Like I said, it’s a weird love/hate relationship.

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=345533

Posted by Liz on Dec 6 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.