New franchise opportunity: Dog poo pick up

There is a burgeoning poo collection business in the United States and some operators are starting to franchise, reports the Wall Street Journal Online .

The franchised pet waste collection franchises, such as Pet Butler and DoodyCalls, have found growing demand for their services. With pet ownership at a record high, the demand for pet waste removal is growing – Americans would rather play with their pets than clean up after them.

Some of the chains are large by Australian standards; aPAWS has grown from 12 businesses in 2002 to about 200 today.

Cheresee Rehart, owner of Yard Guards on Doody in Florida, told the Wall Street Journal that she will be making $US100,000 this year from her 110 customers – a far cry from when she started the company in June 2003 with $40 to buy a book on professional pet waste scooping.

The poo pick-up industry is so established that it holds “Turd Herding Contests” where operators compete for a golden shovel. You can watch it here.