An animal enthusiast from Wakefield has revealed how she managed to get on the property ladder thanks to picking up dog poo. Emma Garner, 45, purchased her £195,000 four-bed semi-detached home with earnings from scooping dog mess.
From Claims Assessor to Dog Poo Professional
Emma launched her pet waste and care business, The Dog Poo Professionals, in 2014, before going full-time in 2016 after leaving her 9-to-5 role as a claims assessor, a position she had held for 11 years. Over the past decade, she now earns more than four times her previous salary of £20,000, with her income reaching the high five figures. She is completely booked up, serving hundreds of clients across West and South Yorkshire weekly. Her rates start at £14 a week for one dog, with an additional £4 per extra dog.
A Life-Changing Decision
Emma describes the role as the best thing she has ever decided to do. She said: "Picking up poo has changed my life. It has given me a great work-life balance and no stress, which was something I was dreaming of when I was at my law job. It has also enabled me to buy a house and be financially free, which I never dreamed of. Luckily, I have scooped it all of my life owning dogs and horses, so I didn't have to get used to it. The worst thing about the job is long grass, as you have to go fishing for it, especially if they have a runny bum."
Emma launched the venture after finding her previous role unbearably stressful. Before handing in her notice, she had already secured a handful of clients visited during her free time. "I saw an article about a man in America with a dog-poo-picking business and couldn't get the idea out of my head. I put an ad on Facebook and within 10 minutes I had my first customer. The first job was a big one, the garden hadn't been sorted in a long time. I thought, 'God, what have I got myself into', but it wasn't that bad once I got started."
Despite being reassured her position at the law firm was secure, Emma received an unexpected phone call on her day off confirming she was being made redundant. Rather than being defeated, she seized the opportunity to throw herself into her dog-poo-picking business full-time. "Picking up poo has never bothered me. I now have hundreds of customers from across Yorkshire from all backgrounds, and it's given me so much more freedom."
Emma now works a third of her previous hours yet earns four times as much. She added: "It has given me a great work-life balance and no stress, which wasn't the case with the law job."
Challenging Stereotypes
Emma is keen to challenge the notion that her clients are idle or irresponsible pet owners, pointing out that many have complex personal needs. "It annoys me when people assume that my customers are just lazy. I visit people in wheelchairs, with terminally ill children, broken legs, visually impaired, pregnant, elderly people. Even surgeons and beauty therapists who want to keep their hands as clean as possible for work. It all boils down to your situation and preferences. I have someone clean my car because I absolutely hate doing it."
Emma presently provides pet nail trimming services and is seeking to bring on a new team member to allow her to semi-retire.
