|
By Micki Brown Special Sections Editor (Victorville Daily Daily
Press)
A few years ago, Brock Buccola moved his family to the High Desert,
but continued his daily commute to the Los Angeles area where he was
the director of finance for a law firm. Day after day, he felt he
was just passing through, and didn’t feel like he was a part of the
community where his kids were going to school, where his family was
living their lives.
Early in 2003, Brock’s wife Darlene came up with an idea for a new
business. They did extensive research on the subject, and planned
for their logo and web site, and in March of 2003 The Poop Troop was
launched. At first they serviced the High Desert cities of Apple
Valley, Hesperia and Victorville, but about a year ago, they
branched out to include a portion of the Inland Empire — Fontana
west to Claremont.
What is The Poop Troop you might ask? It is a dog waste cleaning
service utilized by people of all income levels. It is appealing to
all dog owners — handicapped, elderly, two-parent working families,
single moms and dads, everyone. It is also a great benefit for
realtors who are trying to keep homes presentable, and for property
owners with tenants, who just tack on the cost with the rent. And,
The Poop Troop specializes in poop removal from rocks. No one enjoys
the chore of cleaning up after their dogs — The Poop Troop can be
there to do it for you.
It seems that the average dog produces two piles per day. If you
have two dogs, that’s four piles a day. At the end of a week, that’s
28 piles of dog poop. At the end of four weeks, that’s 112 piles.
That’s a lot of clean up. Many dog owners don’t go into their
backyards during the winter months, then spring arrives and they
can’t believe the amount of dog waste that has piled up. It smells,
the neighbors are not happy, and it’s a big job to clean up the
mess. The Poop Troop can be there to help. They offer one-time
clean-ups, but the most popular service is a once per-week
servicing. In addition, they offer twice-a week, every-other-week,
and custom tailored schedules — whatever meets the specific client’s
needs and budget. Many times, people don’t know this unique service
exists until after they have been fined by the city, and animal
control recommends them.
The service is convenient — dog owners should be available for the
first servicing to establish what their needs are, and introduce The
Poop Troop employees to the dog(s). After that, they are off and
running — the owners don’t have to be home, the dog can be in the
yard, and monthly billing happens at the end of each month.
A major benefit to the service is that they show up in all types of
weather — rainy, windy, hot, cold — they work through it all, not
just in fair weather. Dogs don’t stop producing waste just because
the weather is bad — The Poop Troop service never stops.
Currently, the largest size property that The Poop Troop will
service is approximately a quarter acre of “dog space.” They apply a
systematic grid crisscross method, which allows them to cover every
inch of the property, ensuring that no dog waste is missed. The most
popular is the standard service — the waste is double bagged and
placed in the customer’s waste receptacle. A deluxe service is
offered — The Poop Troop takes the waste with them when they leave.
All tools and shoes are disinfected after each yard to ensure that
nothing gets transferred from yard to yard. Brock said barking dogs
are okay, but biting is not. If the dog is not good with strangers,
arrangements can be made to service the yard when the dog is not
present.
All Poop Troop employees wear uniforms and drive clearly marked
trucks. The business is fully licensed, provides Workers’ Comp to
employees, and carries insurance. If an employee notices a problem
while they are in the yard — broken sprinklers, dog digging out, or
the dog is injured — they will call and let the client know their
findings.
Brock said that it’s a lot of hard work, but worthwhile. They enjoy
the new friendships they make, and meeting people and their
wonderful dogs. Many of their first clients are still with them.
Brock said they enjoy getting out into the public. One such
opportunity will be the upcoming Strut Your Mutt event at Hook Park
on May 6, where you can meet The Poop Troop staff at their booth.
For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call (760)
946-5290 or toll free at (866) 946-5290. You can also visit their
Web site at www.pooptroop.com.
|