Photo: QueensPost
March 23, 2013 By Christian Murray
Neil and Danny Dineen, two students at PS 150, walk to school along 43rd Street each morning with their father and often have to walk around mounds of dog doody.
“If you look up into the clouds–and don’t look at the floor—you can stand in doody,” Neil, a second-grader said. “It’s like [walking through] landmines,” he asserted, and “People need to pick up after their dog.”
Many children like Neil have complained about the amount of dog waste around the school. As a result, school officials reached out to council member Jimmy Van Bramer for assistance.
Van Bramer and the school decided that the time was right to put together a public awareness campaign. They decided that the children should create “curb your dog” posters that expressly tell dog owners to clean up after their pets. The best poster would be blanketed across the neighborhood–placed in stores and elsewhere.
Neil and hundreds of other students were given the homework assignment of creating a sign, stating that the failure to pick up dog waste is a violation of state law and comes with a $250 fine. Students from Pre-K through six grade participated in the contest.
“They told me to make a sign telling people to clean up after their dog,” Neil said. “I think it is a good thing,” he said. “People need to be responsible.”
Meanwhile, Neil’s younger brother, Danny, 6, said, “We are putting an end to bullying and now it will be dog poop.”
Last week, the students had all completed their posters and the school and Van Bramer’s office began judging them.
On Friday, Van Bramer went to PS 150 and told the children what he thought were the five best. The ulitmate winner, he said, will be based on the public’s feedback and a number of polls. (see below and make your vote)
Members of Sunnyside United Dog Society (SUDS) turned up at PS 150 yesterday in support of the campaign. Furthermore, Sam Adbradouh, the owner of Wespaw Pets on Queens Blvd, has donated 5,000 “dog-poop bags” to support the program that are available at Van Bramer’s council office.
“Most dog owners are not guilty of leaving their pet’s poop behind,” Van Bramer said. “With the help of the students we will get the message out that all dog owners need to be responsible.”
“At PS 150, our students learn to be responsible citizens,” said Zulma Tanzer, an assistant principal. “As part of our social studies curriculum, they learn that being a member of a community means that they have rights and responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Joe Dineen—father of Neil and Danny and a founding member of SUDS—said the dog-poop “problem has been here a long time. “ He said he was a big supporter of the children’s public awareness campaign. “It teaches them to have respect for others and to do the right thing.”
