One of the perks of having a pet sitting business is that there are hardly any overhead expenses. Other than insurance, business cards, gas, and poop bags, there's really nothing else....
Poop bags...ahhhhh poop bags. I may be one of a very small group of people who get excited about poop bags. Why, they come in all different colors, prints, and even scents (like anything could mask the smell of a fresh, hot, steaming pile of dog shit, but at least BEFORE the load goes into the bag, it smells nice). Poop bags come with or without handles, perforated seams for easy tearing and, for the most part, they are strong and rarely break.
Don't get me wrong, I have fallen victim to the ole 'finger-tearing-through-the-bag' disaster and gotten doo doo on my hands. A person who handles as much dog excrement as I do is bound to have a few of these mishaps. The only thing worse is when I have the poop on my finger somewhere, don't realize it and then scratch my nose or put my hair behind my ear. However, unpleasant that sounds, situations like the aforementioned also double as instant husband deterrent when I come home and he wants to get frisky and I'm too tired, "Ewww! You smell like dog shit!" Mission accomplished!
Sometimes my clients do not provide a proper container for which to throw the filled poop bags into after a walk. You obviously never want to put a full poop bag in an inside garbage can (see comment above re: scented bags) or even an outside garbage can, for that matter. Imagine you put a full bag of poop in a garbage can and then someone comes along and tosses something heavy into the can on TOP of the full poop bag. Have you ever stepped on a packet of ketchup??? You get the idea...SPLAT - now your garbage can is covered in dog crap. Lovely.
Anywho, when I can't find a proper receptacle (park garbage can/construction container/etc.), I will take the bag of poop with me in my car and dispose of it when I can find one. One hot, summer day, I walked a large Labrodoodle who seemingly ate an entire can of chili beans and chased it with Sriracha sauce and I picked up the feculence with my trusty poop bag. I tied it up and headed back to the doggy's home to deposit said canine and the bag and be on my way. Unfortunately, there was no place for me to properly get rid of the bag so I took it with me and put it on the floor board of my car (with plans to remove it ASAP), rolled the window down and was on my way to the next stop.
Went to my next stop, then my next and by the time I knew it, four hours had passed and my day was over...YAY! Time for wine and vegging on the couch.
Fast forward to the next afternoon - time for my afternoon dog walks! I got into my car and HOLY SHIT! The events of the afternoon before flooded my brain as the rancid smell of a poop bag filled with dog feces flooded my nostrils. I gagged...literally gagged. I live in Florida where it is not uncommon for the temperatures to soar into the 100's. Can you even imagine the aroma of this thing baking in my hot car for 12+ hours?
You know when the person riding in the car with you rips a huge fart and you have to hang yourself half way out of the window to get a breath of fresh air? Well, that was me for about four hours after finally throwing away the bag of poop.
One thing I've learned during my pet sitting journey - walking dogs is easy...it's all the shit you have to worry about!
Cheers!!
Post by: Allison Otero, owner of AlleyCat's Pet Service
