TOUGH DOODY
Sparta Couple Smells Opportunity In Dog Droppings
By Elizabeth Simmons APRIL 28, 2005 - Livingston County NewsSPARTA – When Michele or Jim Blackburn answer their phone, “Good afternoon, Doody Master here,”
they want to be taken seriously.
This is no prank, no amateur or lighthearted part-time work. It is serious stuff. Michele Blackburn hopes the “stuff” will help them to determine their own destiny after working in manufacturing for “too many years.”
Doody Master, Inc. has a niche to fill in the Livingston County and the Southern Tier – cleaning up and disposing of dog waste for pet owners who find the task at the bottom of their priorities.
The service is available on a weekly, twice weekly, every other week basis or just a one-time cleanup. Starting at just $7.50, with discounts available for seniors and owners of assistance dogs. Customers have the option of having Doody Master scoop and take away, or disposing double-bagged waste in their own trash.
When the Blackburns first began thinking about what type of business they would like to run, Michele said she focused on cleaning homes, but then realized that there are quite a few providers of that service already. Dog waste removal, however so far had no takers in our area.
The industry has found success in other states and there are such companies located in the Rochester area.
“At first, my husband said, “are you serious?”
said Michele. “But after a couple of weeks he realized I was.”
In addition to cleaning and discarding the waste, the Blackburns will notify the owners of any abnormalities in their dog’s feces.
“There may be something seriously wrong with your dog, and you don’t know it,”
points out Michele.
The service is meant to help those who either can’t find the time to fit the task in or for the elderly who may not be up to cleaning the yard but enjoy having a canine companion.
Jean Angililli of Mt. Morris is thrilled to have the service available in our area. She lives in the village, where she has trouble finding a place to dispose of the waste.
Jim did a large spring clean-up of Angililli’s yard following the big thaw, which, many dog owners may know is not a pretty sight: brown piles that had been covered up with snow for months.
“I kept looking outside and I was like, “Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.” He did such a great job – he got every little particle. And now I try to do as well as he did,”
Angililli said laughing.
She cleans the yard weekly and takes advantage of the pick-up service from Doody Master. She had been looking or a business to help her with it and contacted one in Rochester, who told her they don’t cover this area.
As they get the business off the ground, Michele and Jim are still working their full-time jobs. Michele has lived in the area for 12 years and her husband, formerly of Rochester, moved to Sparta two years ago.
