Can You Dump Your Dog’s Poop In Someone Else’s Trash In New York?

Sure, it's gross to think about, but it has to go somewhere. Can you get in trouble for dumping it in someone else's bin in New York State?

When you take your dog for a walk, they often have to go to the bathroom. When you have to go, you have to go, but unfortunately, it's almost always on someone else's lawn.

The question is, what do you do with it after they've gone?

There should be no question that if your dog goes, as a responsible pet owner, you will have to clean it up. Even if you are walking someone else's dog, if it goes poop, you need to pick it up.

The law (Public Health Section 1310 (PBH) CHAPTER 45, ARTICLE 13, TITLE 1) says that it is the "duty of each dog owner" to remove the poop.
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That law technically applies in cities with a population over 400,000 but even in a city whose population is less than that, if a dog goes, you pick it up.  It's just what you do as a responsible pet owner.  Anything less is rude.

Can You Dump Your Dog's Poop In Someone Else's Trash In New York?

Over the weekend we had a debate after watching someone responsibly clean up after their dog, only to drop the little bag in someone else's trash can that was out to the road to be picked up.

Can you do that?

Some of my friends argued that having someone pick the poop up and put it in their trash can was much better than simply leaving it on their lawn.  Others pointed out that if the bag isn't tied or comes untied, that mess could get smeared in the can for the can's owner to smell all summer.

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Technically if you use someone else's trash can you could get in trouble for "theft of service" because you're not paying for the service of having that trash picked up. Most towns would encourage you to take that bag home and put it in your own trash can or find a public can to dispose of it.