Scoop The Poop Week - First Week Of April 2008

aPaws 'National Pooper-Scooper Week' Slated for first week of April 2008

The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) was founded in February 2002 by a group of pooper-scoopers who believe that every dog should have its day. In recognition of a growing problem in our communities, aPaws has established a special week of educating pet owners on the importance of cleaning up after their dogs.

The attraction of flies, gnats, and bad smells can be a neighborhood nuisance if yards are not maintained. Some property management companies and condo associations are seeing the benefit of using a pooper-scooper service to maintain their common areas.
For some dog owners finding a workable solution has been either to clean it up or to ignore it. These days health-conscious dog owners are paying more attention to their dogs' living environment and taking more of a proactive approach in dealing with the dog poop left on the ground.

According to American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), there are 43.5 million dogs in the U.S. As the dog-count within the U.S. rises more dog owners are looking for a simple solution to an already mounting problem. (Source: http://www.appma.org/press_industrytrends.asp)

The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) provides that solution. The non-profit organization's website, http://www.apaws.org, provides a directory of pooper-scooper companies in different states who can help any dog owner who may be looking for a workable solution to keeping their yards cleared of dog poop.

Armed with spade or rake in hand they go about every week cleaning up those mounds of "calling cards" our dogs leave on the ground. Reasonable rates range from $10.00 or more for once-a-week clean-up services. Some offer cat box clean-up for women who are pregnant and under strict orders from their doctors to reduce the risk of exposure to toxoplasmosis, while others provide dog-walking, pet-sitting, and geese poop clean-up. All of aPaws' members adhere to a strict code of conduct in the handling and care of animals.

The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) wants to remind all dog owners to do their part by taking the time and care to make sure their pets' environments are kept cleared of potentially fatal health threats.

2008 Convention Updates

2008 aPaws Poop Scooper Convention Photos - Atlanta

Tell Us About The Time You Had At An aPaws Convention

Diana - Doodie King

I have to say that my opinion on the convention is that it was OUTSTANDING! We had the fortunate opportunity to have not only the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (the biggest paper in circulation today) there to cover the convention and to be a guest speaker, but the Wall Street Journal was there as well! The hotel was beautiful, the staff a 10 and the food was excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting my scooper friends from years past, and meeting many new scoopers as well. I love to put the person to the voice or email. I feel that I learned a lot of new and useful things. I enjoyed all the guest speakers. Kirk Weisler was incredible! He usually speaks to Fortune 500 crowds, so how wonderful that he took time for us. We saw the new aPaws commercial, from Anchor Media Communications that will be available for all members to be “converted” to be their own commercial. I think the commercial will be a big hit. You will be able to use it for TV as well as internet and website marketing. TJ from Anchor could have went on and on with all his SEO info. We had Mike Beckman, Chief of Emergency Medical Services, for the Atlanta Fire Rescue Dept. there to accept the animal oxygen masks. We were able to present to Atlanta enough sets of masks to cover ALL the fire trucks in Atlanta. We also presented a set to David Parks from the Augusta, Georgia fire dept as well. Later in the turd herding contest Mike Beckman was gracious enough, being dressed to the 9’s, to be an honorary participant in the contest. Day Knight was there to speak.

Morieka Johnson, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gave us all some very useful information regarding press releases.

Okay now for the winners of the turd herding contest! First Place went to a hand scooper!! Yeah hand scooper’s! Congratulations to Christopher Trauco from Scoop D’ Poo, Christopher was definitely blessed to be there. He not only won 1st place, but he was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Second place went to David Ortleb from Monarch K-9 Waste Removal, LLC, from Nebraska. Way to go David! Third Place went to none other than Tim Stone from Scoop Masters in California! Tim was delighted to have won after all these years! Tim was not only the MC of the convention and did a WONDERFUL job, but he is our Treasurer as well. Thanks Tim!!!

The auction was not only fun but I am sure we raised a lot of money. I am glad that everyone seemed to have a great time;

Thanks Everybody! 

Cheresee Rehart, Yard Guards On Doody