Stubborn owner refused to pick up her dog’s poop — so fed-up residents put up brutal posters to shame her into cleaning it
A mystery pet owner who refuses to clean up after her dog’s mess is roaming free, leaving her neighbors nose-deep in stink. The posh neighborhood of New York City’s Upper East Side has launched an entire whodunnit campaign of shame for the careless dog owner who frequents the streets of UES. While most people in the area could not identify the woman, a flood of posters has been put up along the sidewalks to publicly call her out. Featuring the repeat offender’s image across several streets, the posters have neighbors hoping the problem will finally be solved.
Elvin, a 46-year-old doorman at 90 East End Avenue, was among the few who had witnessed the pet owner’s antics live. “The dog took a s—t right in the middle of 84th Street. When her dog pooped, she had no reaction. She looked. She just kept walking,” he told the New York Post. Passersby, annoyed by her lack of concern, confronted her. The dog owner simply walked away, paying no heed to their complaint. Elvin claimed one neighbor followed the woman for several blocks, even offering to lend her a poop bag.
“[Another] lady started saying, ‘Ma’am! Ma’am! Ma’am! You didn’t pick it up. You didn’t pick up! I’ll give you a bag!’” Elvin continued, “She turned around and started yelling, ‘So what! I don’t care! I don’t care!’” It was time to teach her a lesson, someone decided. The mystery pooch owner found a rival in a mystery poster-maker who pasted her images on the streets in an effort to shame her. “Do you know her? She lets her dog poop on the street and refuses to pick it up,” read the poster with an image of the pet owner. She carried a Chanel purse and an angry expression, while her dog peeked out from behind in the picture.
The posters lined a 10-block stretch of East End Avenue, from East 79th to East 88th, becoming her "walk of shame." Many neighbors cheered on the campaign. Kathy W, 76, a retired college president, said, “This is a great idea! I’m thrilled that someone did this. Finally, someone is doing something about it.” She had high hopes for the effort. Whereas another 29-year-old resident, Katie, was less optimistic. “It’s a valiant effort,” she marked. Professional dog walker, Brady Hold, 38, explained how dog poop left behind is a big problem in the neighborhood.
“It’s the Upper East Side, it’s raining cats and dogs here. [But] some people won’t pick up after their dog no matter what,” he commented. Though the posters were ripped apart within days, the campaign found a permanent home on Reddit. A user (u/Dry_Conversation8501) sparked a heated discussion with their viral post about the woman, complete with a photo of the poster. “Saw this on the corner of East End and 79th,” read the caption of the post with nearly 5,000 votes. “I support this public shaming,” chimed u/ScratchStudios and u/my_metrocard recalled, “I’ve seen her, actually. I picked up her dog’s poo because she nonchalantly walked away.” While NYC deals with its poopy problem, a young girl from Wales is inspiring her city with an innovative hack to tackle dog mess.