Richmond's dog poop wars: The trash can rule everyone's fighting over
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Richmond is fired up about poop.
Why it matters: For once, it's not the one in the James River — it's your dog's.
The big picture: The debate over where to dump poop-filled bags has divided Richmonders for years, leading to heated debates on social media and expletive-filled posts in neighborhood Facebook groups.
- The poop bag-related anxiety for some residents has gotten so intense that when reader Alexandra L.'s now-husband proposed on the Nickel Bridge, moments after her four-legged baby did its business, she was still holding the doo-doo bag.
- (She said yes.)
By the numbers: Over 700 people responded to our poll about dog poop etiquette, and more than 50 personally emailed us.
- 57% say the bag should go home with you or in a public trash can.
- 43% admit they drop it in the nearest receptacle — even if it's a neighbor's.
- And one person (0.1%) confessed they're a scourge on society and just … leave it.
The intrigue: Richmond, Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield don't have ordinances explicitly banning waste disposal in someone else's garbage.
- Chesterfield spokesperson J. Elias O'Neal tells Axios, "We get this question a lot."
Yes, but: Virginia law prohibits placing waste on private property without permission, an act punishable up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
- Meanwhile, some readers told Axios they believe city-issued "Supercans," marked "Property of City of Richmond," should be fair game — even if they're assigned to a specific address.
Here's what your neighbors are saying:
The "a trash can is a trash can" crowd
- "I'm sorry but I am personally not going to hold a heated sack of sh-t the entire walk," said Nikole J. "It's not like anyone is actively living inside the can."
For the poop purists, neighbor-can deposits are a faux paw 24/7.
- Jill M. compared it to someone dumping Taco Bell leftovers in your unlocked car.
Then there're those who have conditions:
- If they have to touch the trash can, it's off limits.
- It's OK — but only if the trash can isn't empty.
Some prefer public statements:
- Girard B. slapped "no-poop" decals on his cans after an "almost daily influx."
- Ellen C.'s neighbor went the opposite route and set up a communal "Poo Tin" bin with a picture of Vladimir Putin on it.
The bottom line: Public bins are drama-free and your neighbor's can is risky, but in Richmond's poop wars, judgment is in the eye (and nose) of the beholder.