Dog poop a problem on New York streets

NEW YORK, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- New York Department of Sanitation enforcement agents have named five city streets as among the worst in the city for pet droppings.

Sedgwick Avenue, Aqueduct Avenue, Arion Road, 66th Street, Brightwater Court and West 12th Street are among the city roads where residents are most likely to accidentally step in doggie doo, the department told the New York Daily News.

"People walk their dogs and their dogs defecate in the middle of the sidewalk," said Toya Kelly, a resident who regularly walks her German shepherd, Saint, on Sedgwick Avenue.

"There's a lot of kids around here and kids need to be able to run around," she said.

The Department of Sanitation is moving to tackle the problem by doubling fines for those who fail to scoop from $50 to $100.

City officials said roads that feed into parks are also likely to be hotbeds of unscooped poop.

"There are many dog owners who believe parks should be used as outdoor toilets for their animals," said Geoffrey Croft, president of the non-profit New York City Park Advocates