The District of Columbia consistently makes the top five list of America’s rattiest cities, a problem made worse by warming winters, a rising population, and outdoor dining areas made permanent after the Covid pandemic.
Now, some people are fighting back.
A group of local dog owners patrol the city's alleys, using their dogs to sniff out and kill rats.
"It’s primitive but very effective," says Teddy Moritz, a breeder taking part in the Saturday night rat hunt.
For businesses, however, there's another solution: cats.
Blue Collar Cats is a program that allows business owners take in a street cat to act as a rodent deterrent.
"It's a fantastic twofold benefit of having the cat here, everyone loves seeing her.
She's performing a real job.
We don't need her to actually save of money, but she really does," says Tim Williams, director of operations at a gardening center with a mice problem.