Pet's No. 2 Is the No. 1 Priroity

Paul Chesler suffered a serious wrist injury on the job as an independent courier six years ago that effectively ended his career. The enterprising spirit and dog lover that he is, he struck upon an idea to start up another business cleaning up after other people's dogs.

Blue Diamond Pet Waste Cleanup Service was born.

“I stepped into it,” he says of the genesis of the business, which takes him to the homes of dog owners throughout St. Petersburg and beyond for the benefit of their homes' health and appearance.

Chesler is just as concerned with the environmental impact of pet waste left to erode and attests that it provides a safe harbor for rodents, which leads to snakes and an impact on waterways and treatment systems.

He approaches his work with enthusiasm and a sense of humor and finds himself busy enough to make it a full-time job and on the verge of hiring extra help. Based in Seminole he can be seen in his pickup truck with the “Got Poop?” sign advertising his services and he provides a much needed, affordable service that most don't even know exists. He's even become a sought after source of the effects of pet waste left untouched by virtue of a recent appearance as an expert in a court case in Michigan.

When not at his day job he's training for his seasonal job as a professional Santa Claus, which also takes him around Pinellas County and gives him a chance to give back to the community. His wife, Carol, has agreed to join him this year as Mrs. Claus when needed. In regards to all his endeavors, he is proud to say: “That's one of the things that bugs my wife; nothing bothers me.”

He took a few moments this week after a long day to give a glimpse into the world of Pet Waste Cleanup.

Q. What is the environmental effect of pet waste?

A. A lot of people think dog waste is fertilizer and it is anything but. They're omnivores and meat, after it passes through a dog, is a pollutant. If you allow it to stay in the ground eventually it will get in the ground water or if it washes into the bay or the Gulf it adds to fish kills and plant kills and algae blooms and red tide because it is a protein.

Q. Not many know there is such a business?

A. In March I was speaking to the Massachusetts Health and Environmental Association. They flew me up to give a 30-minute talk on what we do. I always start off with 'how many people have heard of this business before?' Ninety percent don't know that this is an actual business that people make money at. Five percent do know and the other five percent have seen it as a cartoon business on Family Guy or some show like that. There's a guy in our organization in California that does 1,300 houses a week. That's probably a half-million dollar operation per year.

Q. What has been the toughest job?

A. I had a guy who for years somebody told him to pile [waste] in the hole if [the dog] starts digging holes. Not only did he pile it in the holes the dogs were digging but he also piled it up under a sun deck and I spent two hours cleaning those areas. An enormous amount of [stuff].

Q. What's the most fun thing about the job?

A. I get to play with dogs. If there's a dog in the yard and he wants to play and I've got the time I'll stay and throw the ball for ten or fifteen minutes. I love dogs. I have a client who has two guard dogs and those are the only dogs I don't play with. When he forgets I'm there and lets them out I have to freeze because their job is to stop you from moving. As long as I don't move they just circle me and bark until he realizes I'm there.

Q. What's the oddest part of the job?

A. It's amazing what dogs will eat. What goes in one end is coming out the other eventually. I am the president of the National Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists. One of the [related] sites actually posts pictures of things that have passed through dogs. It's just the mind set of us because we deal with it all the time and look at it differently than other people do.

Q. You've also taken on the role of Santa?

A. I am a professional Santa Claus. I've been to a couple of Santa Claus schools and I go to a lot of events to do Santa Claus training because we all like to try to keep the story between us straight. I figured if I do it professionally that'll pay for the ability to go out and do the stuff I want to do for free and for charity. You give back as much as you can.

Chesler's Blue Diamond Pet Waste Cleanup Service can be reached at 727-224-7886 or by email at fladoglover@pooperguy.com.