Young Entrepreneur Launches Dog Waste Cleanup Service
Leatham Bilsland, a 13-year-old from Crieff, has started his own business called Doggy Doo Doo, offering dog waste removal services including one-off clearances and regular weekly visits. Inspired by helping his mother, Michele, who runs a dog walking business, Leatham decided to turn the task of cleaning up dog mess into a formal enterprise.
"Whenever I went out on a dog walk with her, I'd be tasked with picking up dog poo... so I decided to just to make it a proper business."
To manage the less pleasant aspects of the job, Leatham listens to his favorite music through headphones, which helps him focus and avoid thinking about the task at hand.
"It just works like a charm - I don't even think about what I'm doing,"he explained.
When asked about the most challenging type of dog waste to collect, Leatham noted that small dogs like chihuahuas present the biggest difficulty due to the small size and the challenge of locating the waste, especially in tall grass.
"To be fair this might come as a shock, but the smallest dogs like chihuahuas are probably the ones I don't like picking up the most - just because they're so hard to find, especially if there's tall grass in your lawn."
Leatham’s friends have had varied reactions to his business. While many are unaware of it, those who know find it both humorous and somewhat unappealing, yet some are inspired to start their own ventures.
"Not a lot of them know about it, but the ones that do think it's very dirty and a bit funny to laugh about but at the same time… it also encourages some of my friends to start businesses,"he said.
Commitment to Quality and Care
Despite the humorous nature of his business, Leatham approaches his work with professionalism. He uses a special enzyme spray to remove any residual mess effectively, carries grass seed to repair damaged lawns, and picks up litter during his visits.
Leatham has implemented a savings plan for the income generated by Doggy Doo Doo. He allocates 10% of his earnings to a teapot fund which he donates monthly to PADS, a Perthshire dog charity. Another 10% is invested in premium bonds for future use, and the remainder is saved for personal goals such as attending the London theatre production of Beetlejuice.
"I keep 10% of it in a little teapot which at the end of every month I donate to PADS - which is a Perthshire dogs charity - and another 10% I put in premium bonds for when I'm older.
Then for the last of it I'm saving up because pretty soon I'm going to be going to a watch Beetlejuice in London - the theatre show of it - so I'm just going to save up for that."
Balancing Business with Passion for Performing Arts
Although Doggy Doo Doo is successful, Leatham considers it a side venture. His primary passion lies in singing and acting, particularly musical theatre.
"My main passion is singing and acting, and when you put the two together, you get musical theatre, which I love with all of my heart,"he shared.
Leatham has already made notable strides in his acting career. He appeared in the 2024 Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, marking his film debut. Additionally, he has acted in two other short films and performed in the musical Les Misérables at the King's Theatre in Glasgow.
Looking ahead, he is scheduled to play William Beech in Goodnight Mister Tom at the Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline in April. Furthermore, he has advanced to the heats of the West End Calling musical theatre competition and is competing for a spot in the grand final in London.
"My dream is to spend my whole life acting and singing",Leatham concluded.
