Home   News   Article

Inverness duo aim to clean up on dirty business





Richie Mason and Richard Perrin.
Richie Mason and Richard Perrin.

“WHERE there’s muck there’s brass,” according to the old saying.

And two Inverness entrepreneurs who are involved in really dirty work aim to prove this is true.

Richard Perrins (31) of Sunnyside and his business partner Richie Mason (35), have started a dog dirt removal service, one of only a few in the whole of the UK.

With their little white van emblazoned with the slogan “We’re the No1 in the No2 business” they are trading as Pooper Scoopers.

For a modest fee, they will swoop on dog owners’ gardens and clean up any doggy mess, and with the use of disinfectants, leave the place smelling fresh and sweet.

Some of their customers have handicaps or are recovering from surgery which make it difficult for them to clean up after their companions, and other clients are people who have fallen behind in keeping their yards clean.

Mr Perrins, who also works as a chef, said they cover the city, Nairn, Alness and Muir of Ord areas, and much of their work comes in through the social networking site Facebook.

They claim to be the only pet waste removal company in the Highlands.

He added: “I am aware of a similar business in the Kilmarnock area but he is the only other one in Scotland as far as we know.

“My business partner Richie also works as a locksmith, but eventually we would like to do Pooper Scoopers on a more full-time basis.

“We saw a gap in the market and went for it. We have a contract with the UHI Campus at Inverness to empty their dog waste bins, and we are trying to get work from the Forestry Commission and the Caledonian Canal in keeping their car park areas clean of dog dirt.

“Droppings can be quite a problem in these well visited areas where people walk their dogs.

“Of course we wear protective clothing when handling the dirt and spray the areas so that any residue is neutralised. You very quickly develop what we call poo vision so you do not stand in anything nasty.”

Customers are charged £7 for one dog, £8 for two and £10 for three dogs.

And Mr Perrins revealed that his family pet is... a cat.

He added: “I grew up with dogs, but we have three young children so we do not have a dog at present.”

Cleaning up dog dirt is a perennial problem for some councils and all sorts of gadgets and gear has been used to clean up fouled streets and pavements.

Some councils have introduced “poovers” – dog mess vacuum cleaners.

The design varies from a souped-up wheelie bin in Hastings, to a Ghostbusters backpack in Teesdale.

Islington has tried poovers built around motorbikes, and Nottingham has an all-terrain cart called “Fido” – short for Faeces Intake Disposal Operation - which is capable of collecting 240 litres of dog dirt and converting it to slurry.

In the early 1980s Paris used a fleet of motor scooters to vacuum up any offending “crottes des chien.”

The scooters were withdrawn in 2002, with the city opting for fines instead.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More