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Looking for a job with no dress code, no cubicle and no office politics? One that, despite a tough economy, still has a lot of pup — uh, pep? The clientele can be a handful, but it’s nothing a few treats and a long walk can’t satisfy. |
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It’s 10 a.m. in downtown New York and Casey Butcher is ready for work, but he’s forgotten his paper. A lot of New Yorkers start the day with the morning paper. For Butcher, though, the newspaper serves a whole different purpose. He’s in the dog-walking business, and his first client of the day is a French bulldog puppy named Mochi who is about to take care of his own business. "A lot of dog walkers invest in the blue poop bags, but I try to use an AM New York when I can," Butcher says. "I’m a little aware of my carbon footprint — I can go through, like, 20 bags a day." |
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Butcher works for a company called Club Pet NYC. It’s not the most glamorous way start to a day, but even in this economy, poop pays. How much does it pay? That can be a little controversial An article in a 2004 issue of the New York Daily News asked people how much they made. A dog walker named Sammy Swale reported about $50,000, prompting some dismayed online responses such as, "I went to grad school for five years for a Ph.D. and I still make less than the dog walker!" Another reader replied, "The dog walker is lying, we make much more than that!" Butcher agrees, although he won’t say how much he makes. "I have a friend who’s making $100,000, and that’s with the company taking half. So he brings in about $200,000 a year just walking dogs." That would be a pretty good income even with Manhattan’s high cost of living. But not just anyone is cut out for this line of work. According to the walkers, it’s a lot harder than it looks. First, there’s the physical toll. Sherman Ewing, the guy who started Club Pet NYC, says his foot grew a size and a half in his first year from walking about 10 miles a day. Then there are the logistics. Like the keys to 200 apartments. "What is amazing is I can tell if any are missing just from the sheer weight of it," says Eric Hahn, who has worked for Ewing for the past seven years and considers himself somewhat of an expert walker. Even so, walking five dogs at a combined weight of 350 pounds can be a little tricky. "There is a method. People see you with a bunch of dogs and they think it’s just random," Hahn says. He explains his system this way: "Whoever is full and has not been emptied yet is on the outside of you — it’s a matter of rotation. I need to keep track of who’s empty and full because if a dog’s about to go and you go into a lobby … ." But what makes dog walking truly challenging is that you have to be good with both dogs and people. "I have people where their kids call me Uncle Eric," Hahn says. "I’ve had dinner with my clients. It’s not like I’m the help, necessarily; it’s more like [an] extended member of the family." The people at Club Pet NYC won’t call dog-walking recession-proof. But it certainly will never require a government bailout or a stimulus package. Unlike the banking industry, dog walkers can always count on a high rate of deposit. |
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Allen Taylor on 01.11.2010
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor
Blair Sorrel on 01.28.2010
Greetings! Unfortunately, most dog walkers discover a danger, only sadly, when victimized and so I wanted to inform you of http://www.StreetZaps.com. Abd so you are aware, I confer with Con Edison’s Stray Voltage and Public Affairs Units and contribute to Wet Nose Guide and New York Dog Chat.
Thank you and happy safe new year!
Best wishes,
Blair Sorrel,
Founder
WHY URBAN METAL ISN’T PRECIOUS- Blair Sorrel, Founder, http://www.StreetZaps.com
Of course, you want a worry-free walk year-round, so adopt this simple strategy:
EYEBALL THE BLOCK, AVOID A SHOCK.
Take just a few seconds to survey the immediate surroundings and make your trajectory toward a non-conductive surface, ie., plastic, wood, cardboard, rather than risking any metal or electrical fixture. The lowly, free-standing garbage bag, is you and your dog’s best friend, most of the time, unless it’s snowed and salted. Consider the safer, hardware-free RopeNGo leash and harness to help shield against a possible zapping and for greater peace of mind.
CONTACT VOLTAGE DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE BY GENDER.
Your pooch’s sex is irrelevant. True, the most gruesome scenario is that of a male dog electrocuted by its ricocheting urine, but contact voltage is just that, mere interaction with an energized surface. Our poster girl sidled a fire hydrant and limped for five days. Intuit your dog’s cues, if resistant to an area, choose an alternative route. Elude potentially live work areas or carry your canine, if necessary. Opt for indoor products such as The Pet Loo, Hammacher Schlemmer’s Indoor Restroom, or Wee-Wee Pads, if external conditions are ominous. Dog booties can leak and make your pooch even more vulnerable.
ARE YOU PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR DOG?
Any of these fixtures might be dangerous, so again, choose non-conductive where and when possible. (link to home page fixtures listed below and/or the visuals page):
View All StreetZaps’ Home Page & Safety Images
– Street & Traffic Lights can leak if damaged internally, even if the compartment is fully closed and the light is not illuminated
– While wooden blocks anchor Scaffolding or Sidewalk Sheds, be aware that sloppy wiring by a contractor and/or the use of lighting equipment which is NOT WATER-PROOFED or even suitable for outdoor usage, may still shock a passerby.
– ATM Vestibules
– Decorative Lighting
– Dog Booties may increase
the risk of a shock
- Electrical Boxes
– Fire Hydrants
– Fire Police Call Boxes
– Manhole Covers
– Muni Meters
– Phone Booths
– Service Boxes
– Street Light Boxes
– Traffic Boxes
– Work Areas
After all, why chance it when there’s a choice?
BETWEEN YOU, ME, AND THE LAMPPOST.
Tampered equipment can become pernicious so please map (Report Form) damaged fixtures and known hot spots to admonish other pedestrians and alert the utility and transportation department.
Finance Info on 02.04.2010
Great article, lots of intersting things to digest. Very informative
warez serials on 02.06.2010
Good article . Will definitely copy it to my blog.Thanks.