Neighbors furious after man places pins around tree to deter dogs

QUEENS, New York -- Tree beds on the sidewalk are supposed to be off-limits to dogs doing their business in New York City.

But someone in Queens was so angry about dogs walking around their tree bed, they placed hidden hazards in the spot designed to hurt their paws. It's infuriating to pet owners in the neighborhood.

The property owner put black plastic pieces mixed with pins in all three planters in front of his building.

Many push pins are mixed in with the shredded car tires in the bed around the tree.

The pins are apparently aimed at deterring dogs from using the tree.

The pins have allegedly injured at least one dog, whose owner posted a photo in a local Facebook group.

After Eyewitness News showed up in Queens, so did the police.

They put up tape as a warning and started an investigation because they suspect some laws were broken.

Neighbors say the tacks aren't the owner's first attempt to keep dogs away, and the dog who got hurt isn't the first to get injured.

"It was about a month ago, we put her in this bed right there to go to the bathroom as usual," said a dog owner named Caitlin. "And she was sniffing around in it and I looked at her face, and it was covered in blood."

Caitlin says there was glass in the tree bed, and not just a piece or two.

"I noticed it was a piece of glass, and then went back to it and found more large shards of glass in it," she said. "Like sharp dagger pieces of glass."

A neighbor filed a complaint with the Buildings Department because of the push pins. We tried to reach out to the owner, but he has not responded.

"I'd like to be able to bring her out and not worry about her getting hurt while she goes to the bathroom," said Caitlin.

The area is right across the street from a new dog park.