Port Seton man launches business picking up dog mess

An East Lothian man has launched a new business scooping up dog poo from peoples’ gardens.
Greg Mahoney, who has launched Super Pet Scooper in East Lothian, with his rescue dog RoccoGreg Mahoney, who has launched Super Pet Scooper in East Lothian, with his rescue dog Rocco
Greg Mahoney, who has launched Super Pet Scooper in East Lothian, with his rescue dog Rocco

Super Pet Scooper has been set up by 32-year-old Greg Mahony, carrying out radical garden transformations by removing dog waste and cleaning the vicinity.

Despite only starting in January, Greg, who works in administration for NHS Lothian, already has 20 customers and thinks it is ‘pawsible’ to turn his idea into a full-time career.

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Some of his friends and family may think he is barking mad, but Greg believes he has spotted a gap in the market.

He said: “This idea is big in America and Canada and it gave me inspiration to begin a business here.

“I pick up the poo and dispose of it in degradable bags and also spray bacterial cleanser.

“I also then pay to dispose of the dog poo with the council. Dog dirt breeds germs and bacteria the longer it is left.

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“The price depends on the amount of dogs and size of the garden, with the majority of jobs taking up to an hour to complete.

“There is nothing like this business here so I’m hoping to establish a list of clients.”

Originally from Manchester, Greg and husband Andy moved to Port Seton hoping to leave their dog waste worries behind them. However it was only when walking their rescue dog, Rocco, when they realised there was a serious problem in their adopted region.

“I have my rescue dog, Rocco, who I always clean up after,” said Greg. “Unfortunately not everyone has the same attitude, but it is just a minority. People should be picking up their own dog’s poo and it is a big community issue which isn’t going away.”

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But Greg is determined not to roll over and ‘pug-get’ the issue and would like to educate those owners who do not pick up after their pooches.

He has a vision to expand Super Pet Scooper and be able to operate as a contractor to the local authority to unleash his methods to tackle the issue on the streets.

Greg said: “At the moment I am working on a Saturday but eventually I am looking to expand and put all my efforts into this. East Lothian Council have given me advice and helped me get my waste carrier licence. I’d love to be employed by the council to help clean the streets.”

Catering to peoples’ dog waste needs is not the career change Greg had expected and admits to being delighted at the positive response he has received from the public so far.

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“I’ve also had rugby clubs and schools approach me so I think there’s definitely a demand for this service to grow,” he said. “I never really anticipated that I’d start a company, let alone something I love such as dogs. I don’t mind cleaning up after dogs at all. It gets me out of the house and brings in some extra money.

“Some elderly or disabled people can struggle picking up their dog’s faeces and others can just be busy in their day-to-day working lives that they don’t get round to it. My job doesn’t need the home owner to be in. I’m like a private pooch bin collection service.”