This past week we had the great honor of interviewing Chad Logan, founder of PickUpThatPoop.com. We had previously connected via social media and as soon as we discovered how very passionate he is about dog poop we had to meet him! After all, it isn’t every day that we connect with someone other than fellow pooper scoopers who is passionate about picking up after dogs! So we had to get to know more about what he’s all about …
BBS: Okay, so you’re a man dedicated to educating people about dog poop. There has to be a story behind that. Tell us about it!
CL: I spent seven years in finance before I became a professional dog walker and now, ten years later, I'm focused on the other end of dog walking: poop. Before Poop Bag Music, I started PickUpThatPoop.com which was a campaign to get dog owners to pick up after their dog(s) in June, 2012. The idea for “do the right thing, pick up that poop” all started when I took our dog, Gus (a black lab mix that we adopted 13 years ago), out for his morning walk on June 10th (my birthday). See, we have grass and trees between the sidewalk and the street outside of our town-home, and I counted not one, not three, but six piles of dog poop left behind. Five on the grass and one right in the middle of the sidewalk. I remember thinking, “That's my birthday wish. I wish that every dog owner would do the right thing andpick up that poop!" PickUpThatPoop.com became Home of the Walking Yard Sign. We have over 30 designs to shop from: T-shirts, stickers, tote bags, mugs and more. In February 2015 I wanted a song to raise awareness on poo-pick-up. Over one year later we now have seven "poo" songs and three songs about dog rescue.
Yes, I started Poop Bag Music as a way to educate people about dog poop but also as a way to give back by donating 50-100% of the profit from all sales to dog rescue groups. I strongly believe in and support pet adoption. It started with Gus, and now Jasper, a German Shepherd mix who we adopted 4 years ago. We need more people to adopt, and stop buying! It makes me sad when I hear, “But we want a puppy.” Guess what! There are a lot of puppies that need to be adopted too. But please consider an older dog. All dogs matter!
BBS: You leave for the No Poo Left Behind Tour in early July. Where can people find you and what can they expect from the Tour?
CL: We will be hitting the open road on July 6th for our No Poo Left Behind Tour. As we started planning this tour I said, "No matter if we raise $500 or $50,000 the No Poo Left Behind Tour is going to happen.” But the amount of money raised will allow us to make more stops at local parks, poo-hot-spots, dog parks and dog rescues. It will also allow us to make one or more donations to dog rescue groups we meet on the road that need help to stay open and/or expand to help more dogs in need. I'll be posting updates and locations as we go to our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.
BBS: There are some great sponsors backing you up for this tour. How did you connect with these folks?
CL: With help from our wonderful sponsors, we were able to build our "poo" teardrop trailer. It took about a year connecting on social media (Twitter) posting/tweeting about our No Poo Left Behind Tour and looking for sponsors. With them and people supporting us with downloads on iTunes and walking yard sign sales we can hit the road and spread the word not the poo and help dog rescue groups at the same time. Please check out and support our sponsors. Their logos and links can be found on our website.
BBS: So what’s the big deal, anyway? Why is it so important that people pick up after their dogs??
CL: Picking up after your dog(s) is a big deal. First of all, in most states it's already law and if you get caught you can face a fine of $50 - $250 and up. Not to mention it's the neighborly thing to do. Nobody wants poo on their shoes. I've read that nearly two decades ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified pet waste as a dangerous pollutant in the same category as toxic chemicals and oil. You may not live near water, but un-scooped poop from your yard is carried by overland water flow or is washed into storm drains, ending up in far away streams, rivers and ground water.
BBS: Why do people have such a hard time with dog poop and how do you think we can we reduce this aversion to picking it up!? (Besides, of course, awesome poop songs and swag.)
CL: Most people do pick up after their dog(s.) It's just a few that don't. Most likely if you are out walking and you see more than one pile left behind it's from the same non-picker-upper (same person, different day/poop.) One sure way to make people pick up after their dog(s) would be DNA testing. It's getting bigger every year. HOA's and apartments/property management companies are signing up for this service to catch non-picker-uppers. On the market today we have so many tools to help us pick up that poop. There should not be excuses. I even talked with a lady that could not understand why people can't pick up. She said, "If I can do it blind, everyone should be able to do it one way or another!" Now I know my "poo" songs won't change the world overnight or be as popular as Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift. Just remember it's to help raise funds for dog rescue groups, and might get a few more people to pick up that poop.
BBS: Well we are definitely cheering you on!! How about we say goodbye by exchanging our strangest poop story! We had a dog client who was regularly eating (and eliminating …) his owner’s cash money - sometimes big bills! Your turn.
CL: Story time. I was walking Gus with my mother. I usually keep the leash short when we walk by this hill full of ivy, but this time we were talking and I forgot. Well Gus just had to do his business. He went up the hill as far as the leash would let him. Mom looked at me and said, “Just leave it. Everyone else does. If you go up there you will end up stepping in dog poop.” Well I had to pick it up. Not only do I own PickUpThatPoop.com but I was wearing one of my walking yard sign t-shirts. As I was heading up the hill, mom said something to me and as I turned around, my shoes got tangled up in the ivy and down I went, still looking for the pile of dog poop. I could not find it … oh, I found it alright … on the backside of my shorts. Lets just say after that we don't walk pass the hill with ivy anymore!
Thanks again for this opportunity, and helping us spread word, not the poo.
Thank YOU. Good luck on the tour!
Learn more about Chad at PickUpThatPoop.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check out his awesome swag in his store. And download his poop songs here. And remember to PICK UP THAT POOP. (A pooper scooper can help.)