No. 1 crew for pup's No. 2

Business profile

Business: Dog Poo Crew

Phone: (701) 219-6589

Website: www.dogpoocrew.com

FARGO - Customers can depend on Josh Schwark to be there when "doodie" calls.

Schwark owns and operates Dog Poo Crew, a pet waste removal company. Since starting the business in 2006, it has grown to serve nearly 100 homes in the metro area.

A late spring contributed to a frenzied couple of work weeks, but Schwark recently spared a few minutes to talk about his business.

What inspired you to start the business?

I was studying business in college when I saw an article about a company on the East Coast doing this. I did some research and found they were in other cities as well, so I decided to bring it to the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Do you work alone?

I get a little help for springtime cleanups and then I just do the yards the rest of the year myself.

What are the different packages you provide?

We do a one-time cleanup for people who didn't clean their yard all winter.

We also offer regular services where we visit weekly, every other week or even twice a week. In both cases, we haul out all the waste and take it to the landfill so they don't have to worry about that, either.

What you like about your job?

I like working outside. I also like helping out customers who have pets. They love their pets, but maybe don't enjoy cleaning up after them.

We clean up a lot of dog waste, which is a huge environmental problem, too. It's estimated that a third of all water contamination is caused from dog waste runoff into streams or leaking into underground wells. I'm doing my part to help the environment.

It is important to clean up after pets even if you don't have us do it. Pet waste contains the eggs of certain roundworms and other parasites that can linger in the soil for years. Dogs and humans that come into contact with that soil are at risk of being infected and getting sick.

Are pets usually around while you work?

Not usually, but sometimes they are, in the summer.

Have you had any bad experiences?

Most of them just bark and that's about it. I've had one German shepherd that lunged at me, but I was by the gate and the owner was home. It wasn't any big deal. My neighbor is a postal worker and I think he has a lot more issues than I do.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Angie Wieck at (701) 241-5501