Couple do-do the dirty work

No one likes stepping in dog poo, so one Albany couple have made it their mission — and their day job — to pick it up. Tony and Heather Demarteau are the people behind Albany’s Doggy Doo Cleanups. While they have been cleaning up at beaches for several years, they are taking their business to the next level by offering to rid private backyards of doggy doo too. Using their professional pooper-scoopers, they will remove waste on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly basis or as a one-off before a rental inspection, for example. A weekly clean for one dog costs $10. If the dog is not comfortable with their presence at the property, they will visit at the weekend or after-hours. “We sold our other business at the end of last year, so we were looking for something to keep us active, because I am disabled myself, so we decided that we would branch out into doing backyards,” Mr Demarteau said. “The average yard would take about 20 to 30 minutes and we have a mechanical device where we pick it up. “Before we do all that, we go around and meet the dog so that they know who we are when we come into the yard and then we work out a time that suits them. “We then put it into a biodegradable, scented bag and once we have done the whole yard, we put it in the bin and spray the bin with air freshener.” The City of Albany uses the couple to to help keep Middleton Beach looking beautiful, with three clean-ups each week in summer and two in winter. A whopping 30 to 35kg of faeces is collected each week. Mr Demarteau said although it sounded like an undesirable job, they found it very rewarding. “We talk to people all the time down the beach and get compliments down there like you wouldn’t believe,” he said.