Why don't your neighbors pick up their dog’s poop?

Left-behind dog poop is annoying. But it’s also a sign of anti-sociality.

Spotting unidentified poop outside is an unfortunate and unavoidable part of being alive, but in some cities, there’s a scourge being left behind by some people’s four-legged friends. Manuela L ó pez-Restrepo , writer and producer at All Things Considered , couldn’t stop noticing it – and she wondered if it might be a sign of something deeper going on.

Paired with dogs popping up in places they maybe shouldn’t be – she wondered: can dogs be a vector for anti-social behavior? And what would it look like for people – and their pets – to share space more harmoniously?

Manuela shares her reporting with Brittany and they get deeper into the story of the dookie. (00:00) Genuinely, why do people leave dog poop on the street? (02:59) Dog poop as a symbol of urban entitlement (05:38) When dogs show up at restaurants (07:27) How the pandemic created a 'dog's rights movement' (10:58) Dogs, race, and surveillance (18:13) Is dog poop a policy issue? (26:32) Investing in cleanliness and a more compassionate public For more episodes about culture and how we share public space, check out: The Coldplay kiss cam & moral surveillance Crime is down. Why don't people feel safe?

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