It’s a dirty job, but as a responsible pet parent, you need to scoop that poop. Now, you can keep your distance with a new pooper scooper you didn’t know you needed.
Very few people—except (maybe) new parents—talk about poop as much as dog people. And when it comes to poop, one of the biggest topics? Scooping.
Everyone has that horror story. The ripped bag. The tough-to-pick-up. The icy fingers that slip. Shudder.
The obvious solution is a pooper scooper, but the standard scooper has been improved upon by pickApoo. Creator Shir Halifi spent two years of rigorous research and design to come up with the ultimate scoop. It can be used with any type of plastic bag (though they recommend biodegradable to lessen the environmental impact), and it’s a one-handed scoop for any surface. The design makes it usable for children or anyone who has limited mobility.
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The scoop itself is designed so that it never touches what it’s picking up, so no need to clean it like you would a standard shovel or bin-style scooper.
“Ask any pet owner if they’re in love with their current pooper scooper, and I guarantee they’ll tell you there are things they’d change,” said Halifi. “Well, I decided to take all those ‘wants’ of a pooper scooper, and come out with a version that suits every pet owners’ need, regardless of size of dog, mobility or age of owner, and type of surface area they are scooping from.”
It’s lightweight and easy to take along on walks, plus it has a built-in flashlight to aid in nighttime scooping. The patent-pending design has been field tested for two years. According to the developer, “We’ve tested the pickApoo with kids, people in wheelchairs, and owners of all dog breeds, and are thrilled with the reviews we’ve received,” Halifi added.
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Here’s how the one-handed scooping works: Attach a plastic bag to the end of the pickApoo. Use that one bag to scoop up several bathroom breaks. Then, once it’s full, pull it off the pickApoo and toss. It doesn’t include a claw, so it doesn’t scoop up grass or gravel.
The pickApoo also lessens the environmental impact of poop bags. A single plastic bag can be used several times, and dog walkers don’t have to bend down to scoop each time. They further encourage the use of biodegradable plastic bags to diminish the impact even more. Plus, the telescoping handle is made from long-lasting recycled plastic.
The reality is, unfortunately, that many dog owners don’t clean up after their pets. It’s Halifi’s vision that, with the pickApoo, people will feel more inspired to pick up their pet’s business because they won’t have to touch anything. In fact, dog owners with a pickApoo can pick up found messes since they don’t have to touch anything to help keep the environment cleaner.
pickApoo launched an Indiegogo campaign to obtain the funding needed to go into production. Halifi is aiming to raise $25,000 to manufacture the pickApoo from his prototype. He also plans to add additional features and a second product, the Pocket pickApoo.
Visit the official pickApoo site to see the product in action, or to support the fundraising campaign, check out pickApoo’s campaign page.
Maggie Marton is the definition of “crazy dog lady” and an award-winning writer based in Bloomington, Indiana. Obsessed with dogs, she writes for numerous pet-related publications and is active in animal welfare. Recently, she launched her first eBook, Authentic Blogging, to inspire others to write with their own voice. When she’s not reading about dogs, writing about dogs or walking dogs, she loves to hike and nap—both activities usually with her dogs. Maggie lives with her husband, John; Emmett, a pit mix; Lucas, a shepherd mix; Cooper, a pit mix; and Newt, the lone kitty (who, of course, runs the show). You can find her online at OhMyDogBlog.com.
