# Canine City Cleanups The Richard Reynolds Rubbish Team Employs Dogs By Jordy E | Published 2012-11-02 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/richard-reynolds1 References: [updates.gawker](http://updates.gawker.com/post/34835821538/veteran-new-york-city-rat-hunter-dismisses-post-sandy) & [nbcnewyork](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Rat-Hunting-Dogs-New-York-City-Rat-Hunters-173625911.html) New York City resident Richard Reynolds has employed an assembly of dogs to rid the urban core of its growing rodent population. Every Friday night, Reynolds and his crew lead a pack of canines to garbage cans, now the site of rat bloodshed. Known to the public as 'Ryder's Alley Trencher-fed Society' (RATS), the group scours the streets in search of late night rodents. While the animals don't actually consume the rats, they kill them almost instantly with their fangs. Reynolds supports the activity of Ryder's Alley Trencher-fed Society on several grounds. He points to the benefits of exercise as the pets get to run around the bins. He also reminds interviewers of the hunting characteristics that are so central to hounds, making them prime candidates for the cleaning task force. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.6/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 40% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Life](https://www.trendhunter.com/life) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Urban Rat Removal:** New trend of using dogs to efficiently and effectively remove urban rats from cities. - **Canine-led Cleaning Crews:** Emerging trend of employing dogs to clean up garbage cans and reduce rodent populations in urban areas. - **Hunting Hounds for Pest Control:** Innovative trend of utilizing hounds' hunting characteristics to quickly eliminate rats in urban environments. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Pest Control:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate specially trained dogs into pest control services to efficiently and humanely reduce rodent populations in cities. - **Waste Management:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop canine-led cleaning crews for garbage cans to enhance waste management practices and reduce urban rat infestations. - **Animal Training:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create specialized training programs to teach dogs how to efficiently hunt and eliminate rats, offering a new solution for urban rodent control. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Canine Sniffing Workshops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sniff-n-seek.md) - [Digital Dog Shelter Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rare-breed1.md) - [Dog-Friendly Workplace Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cesar-hire-my-dog.md) - [Pet Gear Recycling Schemes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wag-n-wash.md) - [Pet-Pleasing Delivery Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/deliveroo-and-french-bandit.md) - [Petting Booth Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/petting-booth.md) - [Pet-and-Owner Salons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/short-bark-and-sides.md) - [Urban Pet Care Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/petbeing.md) - [Canine-Friendly Branding Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/caninefriendly-branding.md)