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"Poop 911" Service Helping Busy Families Clean Up After Their Dogs

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Dogs in the backyard is about as American as can be, but dogs do what dogs do and that's not fun to clean up. But now there's hope.

"Having kids that go to sports, school, work, all that kind of other stuff, coming home and not having to worry to go outside, especially in this cold weather to pick up dog poop is the best," says Susan Bajack, of Harrison Township.

If you have a nice backyard and kids and dogs, the last thing you want is for those kids to step in dog poop. That's where "Poop 911" comes in to solve your problem.

In this region, the local Poop 911 franchise is owned by Jay McQuade and Alaina Gurnari. They even have a catchy motto: "Your dog's number two business is our number one."

The company already has 70 weekly customers and they expect more.

"All pets do it but not everyone has the time or want to pick up after them, so we kind of help out with that," said Gurnari.

So, for a fee starting at $10 a week, Poop 911 will show up once a week to clean up the dog poop from your yard.

The Bajacks get a clean-up for their two dogs every Friday.

"For two dogs with my size yard, it's $12 a week, so I spend that just on coffee at Starbucks," said Bajack.

McQuade says it's not limited to dog poop. Many suburbanites have a problem with deer droppings that can transfer worms to dogs.

"I ended up getting a shop vac with a 200-foot extension cord and I went out and cleaned her yard up, and the dogs haven't had any since," says McQuade.

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And their car certainly gets attention.

"It's hilarious," says Gurnari. "We'll be driving to different job sites, and we have people, honking, waving, taking pictures and videos with their phones."

If you're looking for a unique holiday gift, McQuade says signing up with Poop 911 would do the trick.

"I think this would be a great gift for a loved one, an older person or even people who work two jobs. It's something to give to somebody, they don't have to worry about for the rest of the year," he says. "I think it'd be great."

It would sure be unique.

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