BROWNSTOWN TWP. — Curtis and Cheryll Wezner have a scoop when it comes to the doggy business.

In fact, their scoop is the one that most dog owners don’t like to touch.

It usually involves the back yard and a shovel.

As the owners of K-9 Clean Up, a dog-waste removal company servicing the Downriver area, their business eliminates the most unpleasant aspects of dog ownership — the cleanup.

The Wezners, a husband-and-wife team, along with their 17-year-old son, soon will be picking up what Fido left behind in your back yard.

Curtis Wezner, 41, who works full time for a major airline, said he heard about the idea in the spring when it was featured in Money magazine.

"Initially, I laughed," he said. "Then I thought about it and thought it wasn’t so silly."

Cheryll Wezner, 39, said she, too, had the same reaction when her husband approached her with the idea.

"Initially when he first told me about it I giggled," she said. "Who would want to pay for that and who would want to do that?"

But after she searched the topic on the Internet — which she said was a chore itself, just coming up with the right keywords — she learned there are about 800 of these businesses in the country and only two others in Michigan.

One business is in Westland and another is in New Baltimore.

"We saw the potential and it intrigued us," Curtis Wezner said.

Wezner said there are three main reasons people would hire a service like his.

First, people have better things to do with their time, he said. Also, some people cannot stand to do the job, whereas there are some that are unable to such as seniors or handicapped people.

But there really are good reasons to pick up dog waste in the back yard. The waste can harbor diseases and bacteria and can bring bugs and rodents into the yard.

"Many people may think that the main reason to use our service is for aesthetic reasons," Cheryll Wezner said. "A weekly service visit is beneficial to ensure protection against contamination and transmission of diseases to humans."

There are numerous types of bacteria, diseases, viruses and parasites that are carried in canine feces. They include roundworm, parvovirus, whipworms, hookworms, giardia and coccidia.

Roundworms can develop within a couple of weeks and can live from months to years on property, she said.

"Educating people is the greatest thing we can do," Curtis Wezner said.

The Wezners use special chemicals to clean their tools and shoes before coming into each yard. They also haul the waste away, so customers don’t have to deal with it.

They charge $11 a week for an average-sized dog for a standard-sized yard. The price is an added $4 for each additional dog per week.

But it doesn’t depend on whether your dog is small or big — and the reason is simple, Curtis Wezner said.

"A smaller dog would have less waste but it’s harder to pick up," he said. "The larger dogs are the easier jobs. The name of the game for us is time. (Larger dog waste is) easier to find.

"It’s not how much waste, but how hard it is to find."

There also is a different charge for a one-time "catch-up" cleaning, such as a yard that has been neglected over the winter months.

The couple also offer discounts for seniors and those with assistance dogs.

Owners: Brownstown Township residents Curtis and Cheryll Wezner

What: A dog-waste cleanup company. Will come to your home for a weekly fee and clean up what the dog has done in your back yard.