Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

The American backyard makes a very poor toilet.


General FAQ

Why should I use Sgt. Poopers?

PET WASTE & LITTER REMOVAL: Our standard of quality is PERFECTION. Period. We do the job to perfection for the price we ask, every time, guaranteed. Our objective isn't "pretty good," "almost perfect," or "95%." Nothing short of "perfect" is acceptable.

Sgt. Poopers Regimen

PET WASTE REMOVAL: We clean your yard on the same day(s) each week, Monday–Friday. We are now starting to service yards on Saturday, too. If your dogs are friendly we'll clean when they're in the yard. You may give us the combination or gate key, or unlock your gate on the proper day. Your yard will be professionally cleaned. Waste will be bagged, tied securely, and put into the trash for disposal in accordance with city ordinances. (Dog waste has zero commercial value because it's toxic). After each yard, we disinfect our equipment with an EPA-approved, CDC-listed, NSF-certified No-Rinse Required, hospital-grade disinfectant that kills 99.999% of germs in seconds. We bag the waste, tie securely, and place it into the trash per city ordinances. From there it will go into a landfill where it will be contained to protect the environment.

HOLIDAYS & SEVERE WEATHER: If the severe weather or a major holiday interferes, we will schedule your property for the day before or the day after.

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL: When you sign up with Sgt Poopers, your first week of pooper-scooping service is FREE. (Note: if you have a backlog of more than two weeks we have a separate fee for that. See our prices).

How do you accept payment?

We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover from our residential clients. We charge your card in the evening after we deliver our service. Or if we visit your yard multiple times each week, we will charge your card once a week, usually on Sunday. Commercial clients may remit by check. All prices are subject to 8.25% sales tax by State Law.

What is the benefit of a locally-owned company?

Perhaps our greatest benefit as a locally-owned company is that our services are delivered with the highest level of responsibility. We follow the Golden Rule so we do unto you as we we would want you to do unto us. We are a family-owned Dallas-based company, and not an out-of-state national chain. Our owners and management are responsive and reachable seven days a week. When you call Sgt. Poopers® we personally answer the phone. Need an answer or a decision? You'll get it instantly. If you call a national chain you'll get an out-of-state answering service who, instead of answering your question, will barrage you with her own set of questions, "What is your name? Address? City? State? Zip Code? Phone? Email?" When you finally get to ask your question, the operator won't have any answers about service in Texas because she or he is 1,000 miles away and has no idea what's going on in Texas. All they can do is delay until someone in Dallas can call you back which we feel is an unwarranted imposition on your time.

Can my dog(s) be in the yard?

We love dogs and get along well with them. But to ensure the safety of all parties we request that if your dogs are not good with strangers, please keep them indoors on service days. If necessary, we will text or call you before we arrive to ensure all is safe while we are cleaning. This generally works very well.

What areas do you service?

We are based in Dallas and service the greater Dallas Metroplex. We are happy to service properties outside our service area, but have to enact a surcharge to cover the extra cost of driving there and back. We generally charge less than Uber or Lyft would charge for a round trip.

Do I need to sign a contract?

No contract is necessary. In our opinion, your complete satisfaction is the only thing that should compel you to retain our services.

What if I keep my gate locked?

Just give us a key, tell us the combination, or unlock your gate on the scheduled service day.

In the case of the latter, if you forget to unlock the gate and we come out but can't get in we will attemmpt to reach you by knocking on the door, ringing the bell, texting and calling. We have to charge for any service call; however, this cloud has a silver lining. On the following visit there will be no extra charge even though we will be cleaning up for twice as many days. So in the long run, your cost will be the same, our number of trips to your home will be the same, and our cleaning effort will be the same. Actually, it costs us extra time knocking, ringing, texting and calling... but we don't charge extra for that.

Alternatively, if you don't want to wait until our next scheduled cleaning for us to return, we can often schedule a second trip, later in the same day, or in the next day or two, usually for $9.95. In this case we are only charging you for the additional drive.

Can you clean prior to a special event?

Of course! We do it all the time and love to help. Just give us a call.

Will the rain affect our service?

No. Rain generally doesn't slow us down much. We don full rain suits and waterproof boots and keep going. We generally stop only for lightning (which usually passes by quickly), heavy snow and ice. Should a severe emergency strike Dallas (tornado, serious flood, industrial accident, or an act of terrorism), there may be a temporary delay in your service as we shift into Search and Rescue, evacuating victims, rendering first aid, saving lives, and helping First Responders as certified members of Dallas' Department of Emergency Management, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

What if we go on vacation?

We do not require contracts, so if you're going to be away, just let us know — we'll skip you that week and you won't be charged.

What if I forget to unlock my gate?

If we arrive but can't get in, either because your gate is locked or because an agressive dog prevents us from entering, we will attemmpt to reach you by knocking on the door, ringing the bell, texting and/or calling. We have to charge for any service call; however this cloud has a silver lining. On the following visit there will be no extra charge even though we will be cleaning up for twice as many days. So in the long run, your cost will be the same, our number of trips to your home will be the same, and our cleaning effort will be the same. Actually, it will cost us extra time knocking, ringing, texting and calling... but we don't charge extra for that.

Alternatively, if you don't want to wait until our next scheduled cleaning for us to return, we can often schedule a second trip, later in the same day, or in the next day or two, usually for $9.95. In this case we are only charging you for the additional drive.

Are you insured?

Yes, we are fully bonded and insured.

What is your schedule on holidays?

Should your service day fall on a major holiday, we will deliver your service the day before or the day after. Services will resume back to their normal schedule day the following week. We observe the following days: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

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Pet Waste Removal FAQ

Dog waste removal in Dallas, Texas

Is there an initial service fee?

We give you one free week for signing up, which means we will not charge our normal weekly fee during the first week of service.

If your yard has not been cleaned in the last two weeks prior to our first visit, we have a "backlog fee" based on the number of dogs you have assuming your yard is of a normal size.

How often should I schedule service?

Dog waste is really just a massive pile of live germs that if not removed will contaminate the ground for weeks and months to come. Like human waste, canine fecal matter is not “fertilizer.” Fertilizer, or manure, is plant matter and only comes from herbivores like cows, horses, sheep and goats. To prove the point, consider that manure costs 79 cents a pound while dog waste has ZERO commercial value. Dog waste is worthless because it is toxic.

Ideally, dog waste should be picked up daily for the same reasons you would not flush your toilet only once a week! If daily service is not feasible, you can schedule us to remove it one to three times per week. It's important we remove the waste before your lawn’s sprinkler system or the rain contaminates your entire property by washing those billions of live germs across your lawn and into the nearest stormwater drain. Stormwater is neither treated nor filtered before it empties into the nearest creek, pond, river, lake, or groundwater. The waste from as few as 100 dogs can render an entire river undrinkable, so is a serious biological pollutant.

To put all that in perspective, there are 1.2 million registered dogs in DFW that produce 900,000 pounds of solid waste per day. That's 9,000 times more dogs than is necessary to pollute 20 miles of the Trinity River.

Frequent cleanings are mandatory to minimize the danger from pathogens. Germs, like fecal coliform bacteria, can cause intestinal illnesses, cramps, diarrhea, and multiple diseases including,

  • Salmonellosis
  • Cryptosporidiosis
  • Giardiasis
  • Campylobacteriosis
  • Parvo
  • Tapeworms
  • Roundworms
  • Hookworms
  • Whipworms

The problem is compounded by houseflies — the number-one spreader of pathogens. Within minutes, flies lay up to 150 eggs on fresh dog waste, tasting it with their feet. Then they fly elsewhere and spread millions of bacteria each time they land.

What if my yard is oversize?

Additional fees may apply for oversize yards ($3.00 to $6.00). Add your entire front yard for just $3.00.

What if I need service during a special window of time?

Most of the time we tend to arrive at about the same time each day. We don't generally promise our arrival at the same time every week because we can't always guarantee it.

We want to please you as a customer, but providing customized service windows has never been part of our business model. We don’t want to disappoint you by promising a service that we are not in the business of providing.

Since our beginning in 2008, we've always said we promise the day but not the time. Here's what we can do:

  • 1. Of course we can send you a text when we are on the way.
  • 2. If you need a special window of time for a one-time-only cleaning, that may be more feasible. We will try to oblige your request for that day if we can make it work.
  • 3. If none of the above is satisfactory and you don't mind an extra fee, we CAN create a special window of time for your service at your request. An additional service charge will apply.
  • Our routes are optimized against traffic flows using sophisticated computer software to minimize driving time and avoid getting stuck in traffic. Varying factors can cause changes in our routes from week to week, such as severe weather and the addition or subtraction of customers, special jobs or events. Despite slender margins, we maintain our profitability because we retain the freedom to optimize our driving routes. If we couldn't optimize our routes, we'd have to enact a surcharge.

    Do you use biodegradable plastic bags?

    New studies (click here to read) have shown that "biodegradable" plastic bags are a marketing scam that DAMAGE the environment far more than regular plastic. As these bags degrade without oxygen in landfills, bio-plastic releases large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas which is 23 times worse than carbon dioxide. Just because something is advertised as "biodegradable" does not mean it is good or environmentally healthy.

    Do You Use Odor Control Bags?

    The chemicals used to "mask" odors in perfumed products like odor control bags and air "fresheners" are reported to be HIGHLY TOXIC so we feel it would be disingenuous to use them. Some of these toxic chemicals function by anesthetizing the olfactory nerve receptors in your nose so you literally "can't smell" what is there. For example, Glad odor control garbage bags contain a thin layer of Febreze embedded in the plastic. Allegedly, Febreze, secretly contains more than EIGHTY-NINE chemicals but only lists about three on the can. Eleven of the disease-causing chemicals in Febreze are as follows:

    1. 1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol—a carcinogen (causes cancer)
    2. Acetaldehyde—a carcinogen that also causes birth defects. It is an immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
    3. Alcohol, denatured—one of the few disclosed ingredients in Febreze and linked to cancer, birth defects, organ system toxicity, and skin, eyes, and lung irritation
    4. Benzaldehyde— a neurotoxin and skin, lung, and eye irritant
    5. BHT—a known neurotoxin (substance that is toxic to the brain and nervous system), a hormone disruptor, immune system toxin, and irritant to the skin, eyes, and lungs.
    6. Butylphenyl methylpropional—an allergen, irritant, and immune system toxin
    7. Ethyl acetate—another neurotoxin linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity affecting the brain and nervous system
    8. Fragrance—Another "disclosed" ingredient which in itself contains up to 400 chemicals 95% of which are derived from petroleum. Exposure to these fragrances damages the central nervous system and can cause depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, behavioral damages, headaches, dizziness, rashes, hyper-pigmentation, vomiting, coughing, and skin irritation.
    9. Limonene—an allergen, immune system toxin and skin, lungs, and eye irritant
    10. Methyl pyrrolidone—a reproductive system toxin linked to birth defects, allergies, immune system toxicity, and skin, eyes, and lung irritation
    11. Propylene Glycol—a known carcinogen which is toxic to the immune system, and linked to allergies. It accumulates in the body and irritates the skin, eyes, and lungs.

    These are just some of the 89 plus ingredients in Febreze. You'll find more information here.

    What makes dog waste a biohazard?

    One tiny gram of dog waste, about the size of a kernel of corn, contains upwards of 20 million toxic germs according to the EPA. Due to high levels of toxicity, dog waste has zero commercial value while cow manure is worth 79¢ a pound. Many parents do not realize how easily fecal coliform and other dangerously toxic bacteria found in dog waste can be transmitted to their children. Harmful organisms embedded in dog waste survive for months on the ground and can be readily transmitted to children and adults. Dog waste is not “fertilizer.” Only herbivores like cows and horses produce "manure." They eat only plants, so what comes out is good for plants because it is plants. The rule is "plants in, plants out." Dogs eat meat. So the rule is "animals in, animals out."

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    Disinfection and Deodorizing FAQ

    What are the ingredients of your disinfectant and deodorizer?

    We use a new-generation hospital-grade disinfectant that is fully non-toxic. It uses a unique chemical compound that has been used to decontaminate during the Ebola outbreak, Anthrax attacks, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to purify drinking water, and most recently to kill MRSA in schools and hospitals.

    • It's an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant, CDC-listed to combat the world's worst viruse outbreaks and attacks, and NSF-certified No Rinse Required on food-preparation surfaces.
    • It was used to decontaminate and stop the spread of Ebola, one of the world’s deadliest viruses, when it hit Dallas in 2014.
    • It is certified to kill 99.999% of harmful viral and bacteriological pathogens including E.coli and salmonella in seconds.
    • As an anti-microbial it performs against bacteria, yeasts, viruses, fungi, spores, molds, mildews, and other microbes.
    • It has been proven effective against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Norovirus, Legionella pneumophilia, E. coli and the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) in testing conducted by certified independent laboratories under GLP conditions and approved by the USEPA.
    • Yet, with all that, it is non-irritating to the skin, non-corrosive, non-reactive, and non fuming
    • Respirators or rubber gloves are not required for application.
    • It is colorless and odorless and so mild and you can wash your hands in it.
    • It contains no scents, perfumes, nor fragrances and is fit for the most sensitive allergy suffers.
    • It’s also hypoallergenic, non-hazardous, non-irritating, and contains no volatile compounds (VOCs) to pollute our atmosphere.
    • It will not harm hard or soft surfaces, nor colorfast fabrics.

    Most traditional disinfectants, deodorizers, mold, and mildew removers are highly toxic and can trigger health problems like chlorine bleach. Bleach produces "trihalomethanes" (THM) and "haloacetic acids" (HAAS) which have been linked to cancer.

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    Summary

    Sgt. Poopers® graphic from our original 2008 website

    A backyard contaminated by germs, odors, animal waste or poison ivy is no walk in the park! Our procedures and protocols are designed to protect and conserve the most precious parkland of all — the one you call home. It’s like having a park ranger for your own backyard which is why we say, “We treat your yard like a National Park!” 

    Sgt. Poopers is a conservation company, so our protocols are based on the principles of conservation. Our approach is common-sense, holistic, always safe, and 100% effective. Our methodology works and you will see immediate results. On top of everything else, no contract is required. We do not use toxic chemistry that can harm people or pets. We restore the balance of nature and make living environments safe for you, children, pets, and beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. Please tour our website to learn more. If you have any questions, please call us today at (214) 563-6379. For your convenience, you may also request services from this site.

    steve hall   signature

    Steve Hall
    CEO & President, Sgt. Poopers
    Conservation Advocate

    We would like to thank you for your interest in Sgt. Poopers. We look forward to serving you in the near future!

    Proudly serving neighborhoods throughout greater Dallas, Texas

    Monday–Friday: 8AM–8PM
    Saturday: 8AM–5PM
    Sunday: 9AM–8PM

    (214) 563-6379

    We accept Visa MasterCard and American ExpressSatisfactionfacebooktwitter Guaranteed
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    11041 Garland Rd, Dallas, Texas 75218 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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