Pet Waste Removal a Franchise that's Really Cleaning Up

by Patricia Schaefer

If there's ever been a service industry that has encouraged and thoroughly enjoyed the use of puns, it's pet waste removal: Wholly Krap K-9 Waste Removal Service; Stinkies; Have Doggie, We'll Doo!; and Dog-Gone Doo-Doo. And these pet waste removal businesses have been -- forgive the added pun -- increasingly "pooping" up all over.

Just like self-stick stamps, it's the kind of thing that leads you to wonder, Why did it take so long for this to come about? In hindsight, it seems simple enough: People have dogs. Dogs poop. People don't like to clean up dog poop. People will pay others to clean up their dog poop.

This service originated in a very limited fashion about 20 years ago -- mostly provided by mom-and-pop-type establishments sprinkled throughout the country -- but in the last five years or so the concept has really started to be accepted and embraced by pet owners, and they have shown it in their wallets. For about $10 to $15 a week, they are increasingly paying to have someone scoop their pet's poop.

In recent years, a number of companies have emerged that -- as DoodyCalls founder Jacob D'aniello said -- "have put a professional face on dog waste removal." Two such companies are D'Aniello's DoodyCalls, based in Virginia, and Pet Butler, based in Texas, and founded by Matt Boswell. Both now offer franchise opportunities for "pooper-scooping."

D'Aniello and his wife Susan founded DoodyCalls in 1999 as a part-time endeavor. Both were graduates of the University of Virginia who eventually gave up their day jobs to meet the steadily increasing demand for their pet service. In 2004, DoodyCalls became the first franchised pet waste removal service in the U.S. Today they operate company owned units in two Virginia locations, and have franchised units in four locations in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

D'Aniello says he takes great pride in DoodyCalls' professionalism, quality of service and the highly qualified and successful people who are a part of his organization. He is focused right now on "building a strong foundation" with his team of valued people and top consultants.

DoodyCalls offers franchisees the flexibility to start their businesses on a part-time or full-time basis. It also offers "a unique service with strong demand, an established brand with consumer recognition, customized IT systems, and a proven marketing program. As a Doody Calls franchise owner, you won't be on your own: we provide training, marketing materials, a call center, and ongoing support."

Ironically, D'Aniello vividly recalls a comment his father made to him when he was just a boy: "If somebody could figure out how to make money picking up dog poop, they could make a fortune."

A year before DoodyCalls got its start in northern Virginia, Matt Boswell was founding Pet Butler in northern Texas. Based in Frisco, a suburb of Dallas, Boswell started the company shortly after graduating from college, seeing it as an extension of the rapid growth in the personal services industry.

Boswell's efforts to form a pet waste removal company that was "not like a mom and pop" -- that was special in its exceptional level of professionalism, quality service and the latest in software and technologies -- soon paid off. After increasing success and growth, Pet Butler began offering franchises in 2005.

Today, in addition to 10 company-owned units in the Dallas area, Pet Butler has franchises in California, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. "By June of 2010, our goal is to have 100 franchises in North America," said Boswell. He also hopes by that time to "donate collectively 100K to pet friendly organization and another $100K to pro-family organizations each year."

For its franchisees, Pet Butler offers a national call center for client support and client contact, along with marketing support, invoicing and collection services, and extensive training as "Fecal Matter Removal Technicians." It also offers a wireless mobile software solution through its PoopNet network, enabling franchisees to easily track their routes and communicate with the company's databases through handheld computers while on the job.

Although the pet waste removal industry has witnessed an increase in its growth in recent years, Boswell acknowledges that there is still a lack of public awareness. And when people do think of pet waste removal, Boswell wants them to think of Pet Butler: "We want to become the brand that people associate with dog waste removal." Boswell witnessed just this recently when a woman called for their service and said, "My boss told me to get a Pet Butler."

To find out more about this service or to locate a professional pooper scooper in your area, go to the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists' (aPaws) website, http://www.apaws.org.

Copyright 2006, Attard Communications, Inc.