Scooping poop: Charlottetown man launches dog cleanup service
Cody MacKay | CBC News | Posted: August 14, 2017 5:00 PM | Last Updated: August 14, 2017
'It's probably my favourite job I've ever had'
Whether it's an Irish wolf hound dropping pancakes or a dachshund dropping macaroons, Darcy Norton will pick up those dog poops for you.
Norton is the owner of P.E.I. Pooper Scooper, a business started in April to pick up those rancid dog droppings fermenting on your lawn.
"The idea came around back when I was in high school, my brother pitched me the idea, but back then I wasn't really a big fan — I really wanted to be a bartender back then," Norton said.
He tried out bartending, he said, but he never truly liked the gig.
Picking up the poop
"People don't really like it when dogs are going around in a dirty yard, it's a health hazard for the dog, it's a health hazard for the owner."
With this in mind, Norton took it upon himself to get into the business with a little landscaping for clients on the side.
"I'll stop by your house and clean up your yard from all the dog waste. I'll cut the grass and tend the garden as well."
Norton works three days a week and scoops poop from more than 15 lawns each day within the Charlottetown area, he said.
He's equipped himself with a few simple tools to combat the stink: a shovel that looks a bit like an ice pick, a spray bottle for those "nasty messes" and a deck scrubber.
Smell is no matter for Norton
Norton said the service is especially useful for people who don't have the ability to clean up after their dogs anymore.
"This way they get to keep their animals," Norton said.
He's set up a Facebook page for future clients and to spread awareness of his poop-scooping business.
"Although it sounds awful, it doesn't really smell. You're working outside, you're working with dogs, people are generally fairly grateful.
"It's probably my favourite job I've ever had."
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