A Derbyshire dad-of-four is earning £24,000 a year from a rather unusual side hustle – picking up dog poo. Kyle Newby, 39, from Littleover, charges £15 a week to clear up after his clients' pets, and has built up a regular customer base of 35 people since launching Pet Poo Pick last March.
Most of Kyle's customers are elderly or disabled and unable to clean up after their animals themselves. He works 12 hours a week over two days, but hopes to expand the business. Kyle said: 'I was at work and me and my mate were looking on Instagram and we saw how popular dog poo picking was in America. It’s really big in America so we thought we’d give it a whirl and bring it to the East Midlands.'
Kyle charges £30 for an initial visit, then £15 a week, which can bring in around £2,000 a month – the equivalent of almost £44 an hour. He uses a scoop to clear up the waste and disinfects the area afterwards. He admits he can earn more in a day picking up poo than working a 10-hour shift in construction.
Kyle has also diversified into lawn mowing for some disabled customers. He said: 'Some people struggle with the longer grass so we now do a mowing service for people who can’t do it themselves. We use disinfectant to get rid of stains left by the dog poo.'
Customer Peter Fisk, 48, has been using Kyle since December after a broken leg left him unable to collect his dog's waste. He said: 'I’ve got a broken leg at the minute, and with the weather, I can’t get out to do it in case I slip. So Kyle’s great for that.'
