Scott's Pet Waste Disposal

By Natalie Austin — Daily Staff Writer

LINDEN — With the intensity of a police evidence search, Scott Williams and his wife, Danette, combed the backyard of a Linden residence recently like they were looking for a lost valuable, a diamond ring, money.

Armed with a shovel, grabbing type tool and bags, and wearing surgical gloves, the pair walked a grid, stopping only when "the evidence" was found.

All the while, the offenders ran around them, even grabbing a tennis ball to divert the couple's attention to a game of fetch.

As owner and operator of Scott's Pet Waste Disposal, Williams is used to these canine antics, and the three Siberian huskies are regulars on his route. The dogs ran back and forth across the yard, stopping to watch the couple collect their leavings.

"We give a nice service of taking everything away so it's just not sitting around," says Williams, a dog lover — he and his wife have a pug, German shepherd, chow and boxer — who doesn't mind picking up poop for customers who would rather not.

"We love pets," he says, plucking and placing a pile in a "bio bag" held by his wife.

He started the business about six months ago, using word-of-mouth, business cards and 500 brochures left in veterinarians' offices and at pet grooming facilities.

Using only hand tools, which he says are sterilized after each use, Williams places the poop in an air-tight container in the back of his sport utility vehicle. From there, it travels to a composting spot on his 11-acre wooded property in Bentonville. The biodegradable bags are placed in the heap.

"It's a green operation," says Williams, using what has to be the most popular buzzword of the decade.

The huskies get their yard cleaned twice a week. They are big dogs and cleaning up after them could almost make an episode of the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs."

"It is a dirty job when we come out and take away the poop for you," he says.

Many of Williams' clients own small dogs and live in townhouses, where proximity to poop — of any size — doesn't win popularity among neighbors.

He will go out and give a free estimate, do a one-time cleaning or place customers' poop pickups on a regular schedule.

The idea for the business was born during the summer, when the heat and four dogs of his own combined to make a smelly situation. There was nothing like mowing over a fresh pile, he says, plus the flies. It was ugly.

"I hated getting out there and doing it," he says.

He will do a deodorizing and reseeding for yards where dog poop has been left to not only smell bad over time, but kill grass.

"To keep your grass healthy and looking good, you can't have piles out their ruining your yard," he says.

Before launching into the dog poop business, though, Williams did his research.

He contacted other companies in the Northern Virginia area, where real estate is at a premium, leaving no room for stink, and decided to give it a run in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Some of his urban colleagues were picking up poop in 100-unit townhouse developments. He has five clients, but is optimistic about growth in his business in the rapidly developing valley. He offers the service year-round.

"Really I was giving it a shot. I wasn't sure how it would turn out," says Williams, carefully moving fallen leaves to find what was beneath them.

He created a Web site to further spread the word. He started getting calls, although the business is admittedly still in its infancy.

With a Northern Virginia commuter as their mom, the huskies make a mess too quickly to be maintained by one person.

The huskies disappeared back into the residence through a dog door, popping back out like it was all great fun. The huskies generate between seven and eight bags of waste a week.

"I like going to the homes and meeting different dogs," says Williams.

His wife lost a bet last week, he says, smiling. "She stepped in it."

Mrs. Williams glanced at her husband but then trained her eyes back on her feet.

Tasha, Dartgagnan and Bella, looked up at their owner with their crystal blue eyes.

"I did not have time to keep up with three dogs and it's a health thing," says Frances Gutierrez. "I think it's a great service and reasonably priced."

Commuting to Dulles daily for work, Gutierrez says it's dark when she leaves and when she gets home. There's little time left for a poop patrol.

Along with the smell factor, the Williamses have a 4-year-old daughter who likes to play outside with their dogs. The couple didn't want the child exposed to pet waste, says Williams, a concern for many dog owners with little ones.

In the summer, some customers had Williams come out on Fridays, so their backyards would be poop-free for cookouts and parties. There's nothing like dog poop to put a damper on outdoor gatherings, he explains.

Williams says he is looking for larger contracts in subdivisions by contacting homeowners associations and property managers.

"Once you try us, you will love us," he says, loading up his truck and heading to his next dirty job.

Call 636-4270 or 305-6181 or go online to www.scottspetwastedisposal.webs.com for rates and more information. He can be reached by e-mail at scottpetwastedisposal@yahoo.com.

*Contact Natalie Austin at naustin@nvdaily.com