He kept welding, but as a precaution crafted himself a custom set of shovels made with stainless steel. Within days, his welder employer went belly up and Stone began his new life as an entrepreneur. He put his newly created Scoop Masters logo on his pickup truck, stocked up on garbage bags and hit the turf. Mostly through word of mouth, he soon found himself regularly adding customers, some with decidedly interesting situations. Needless to say, he ended up not hiring me.
Monthly prices vary depending on the number of dogs and visits in a week.
And, no, Stone is quick to point out, he doesn't charge by the pound. Every now and then someone comes up with a new one, which is always nice. In 1998 Stone added a second vehicle, driven by his wife, Maria. Aside from a minor downturn following the Northridge Earthquake, the business seems to prosper no matter where the economic roller coaster rides, and he now plans to hire another driver and expand via franchising. The latter appeals to him for its hands-off nature.