Here with the Scoop–Central Park Dog Poop Clean Up Builds Community

After months of cleaning up after people’s dogs, Olivia Bannerman hopes more people give a sh*t about taking care of the city.

In order to combat the dog poop left by negligent dog owners now showing under the melting snow, Bannerman organized the “This Sh*t Stinks! Clean Up Party” on March 1^st at Sheep Meadow in Central Park. The event brought together a small group of dog lovers all looking to make friends and clean up the park which will have downstream effects come springtime.

Upper West Side pet stores Pet Central and Canine Styles donated poop pickup bags for the event. With her golden retriever, Violet, by her side, Bannerman opened a new box of poop bags branded with the slogan “The Sh*t We Leave Behind Matters.”

“I mean how perfect is that for what we’re doing today,” said Bannerman.

The attendees traversed from Sheep Meadow all the way to Bethesda Terrace, each with a poop bag in hand and shouts of “Got one!” all along their route.

But this digging for buried treasure is nothing new for Bannerman. When walking her pooch around Riverside Park up to four times a day after the first snow melt in January, Bannerman said that it was impossible to not step in dog poop any time she went out.

But rather than complain, she took it on herself to take care of the problem, often going through at least one poop bag roll per pick up session.

“At least I can clean up my immediate area,” said Bannerman.

Soon after, she would post humorous Tik Toks about her daily clean ups calling out dog owners to “do better,” with users commenting “you’re doing the Lord’s work,” “WHY are you doing this?” and even “Mamdani should give you a medal!” The increased attention led to her being featured in the New York Post and earning the nickname “The Poop Fairy” online and by her neighbors on the Upper West Side.

She understands why the silly name has stuck, especially in response to former City Council Member Erik Bottcher’s 2022 call to constituents that “There’s no such thing as the Poop Fairy. Please pick up after your dog.” Still, she worries that people have misunderstood her kindness as a solitary favor rather than a call to be a better community member.

“I was in Central Park the other day, and this lady came up to me and said ‘Oh my God, are you the poop fairy?’ And I said ‘Well, sort of. Some people have called me that.’ And then she handed me a roll of poop bags,” said Bannerman. “I’m trying to redirect the narrative and say ‘Let’s come together as a community.’”

While the clean up event was attended by less than five people, Bannerman hopes it can be the first step towards a solution to an ongoing problem. Dog ownership across all five boroughs has been increasing steadily since the pandemic, yet many neighborhoods do not have poop bag dispensers to respond to this growth. The city has mainly relied on complaints from its 311 line to track dog owners who don’t rise to this bare minimum task and issue fines, but they are rarely enforced. Still, as spring approaches and more snow melts, the toxins from the droppings will contaminate the run-off and compound water pollution.

Some commenters on Olivia’s Tik Toks have even said the Department of Sanitation should step in to fix the problem. Bannerman challenges that idea, asserting they are already stretched thin and that relying on a government official to fix the problem would make lazy dog owners even worse. Originally from Seattle, she remembers apartment buildings there with new ruh-sidents requesting owners to provide a fecal sample from their pets so owners can be tracked and fined, and wonders if a similar system could work in NYC.