Bristol army veteran goes to war with dog poo

Nick Avery, who now lives in Bristol but is originally from Torquay, served with three regiments including Airborne Forces in his 22 years service.

During this time he saw tours of duty around the world including the Northern Island and Falklands conflicts.

After leaving the army, Nick continued to use his forces skills working in security and humanitarian endeavours abroad, but then after a friend got him into dog walking when home on leave, he found that it was the exact change of pace that he needed.

He said: "I found myself starting to decompress and realised that dog walking was so therapeutic, I was out in nature and not having to worry about anyone wanting to harm me or the person I was looking after, I suddenly had an epiphany, I didn't care about money anymore I just wanted to do this for the rest of my life."

But on his walks Nick was always annoyed by litter, and in particular the dog poo bags discarded by owners in the beauty spots he visited.

"One of the things you learn in the army is never to leave litter, it can lead to the enemy finding your location, and it is bad for the environment. It started to really annoy me how trees were becoming dog poo trees, dog poo bushes and it is so ugly and dirty.

"I think because some of the bags say biodegradable on them people must think they just melt away, but they take years to go back to the earth." Said Nick.

In lockdown Nick and his wife Vicky moved back to Torquay to care for his father, who sadly passed away two years later from dementia. Nick was also one of the many ex forces personnel who were called upon to help communities around the UK during the pandemic.

It was a difficult time, but it also gave Nick the time to think about what his work might be going forward, and after his spell with dog walking he came upon a bright idea.

Nick enthused: "I decided that maybe, if people had a Pawfectbag which was designed especially for dog walkers they may not feel the need to leave all their dog poo and litter lying about. In the pandemic more people got dogs than ever before, there are now 12million dogs living in the UK so this is a problem that urgently needed solving."

Nick invented the Pawfectbag design, and set about finding UK-based manufacturers to help him make the bags a reality.

The unique bags can fit all your dog walking essentials, in special removable sections and a third pocket which is specifically designed to hold bagged dog dirt and litter keeping it away from other items. The section is easily removed to be cleaned and refitted, ensuring that the bag remains hygienic.

When the bag has reached the end of its life, the compartments can then be repurposed as decorative hanging baskets, with the firm giving customers advice on how to recycle their purchase.

He added: "The bags are produced in Devon so have a low carbon footprint and it was also really important to me to support the British workforce. The removable pockets are my unique selling point, and I hope that people who use the bags may even be inspired to rebag and pick up other dog poo and litter as they walk. Dog poo is no good for the environment and affects animals both domestic and wild."

The business is now in its third year, and Nick couldn't be happier doing the job that he loves and travelling to canine events around the country.

He's also teamed up with the National Federation of Retired Service Animals charity, which supports service animals of all stripes in their retirement, something that Nick is particularly proud of as a veteran himself.

"We all have a life expectancy including animals. I believe they serve us well in detecting bombs and weapons to name a few. When they retire they deserve to live out their lifestyle with love and fun, and this is exactly what the charity gives them. For every bag sold a donation goes to them so we can help to make a difference.

"I feel like I have a product here which can really solve a problem and give back, and it's all UK based. This really has been an amazing journey for me and to be able to help other dog owners, a charity and the environment and do my bit is a brilliant thing. It has been wonderful.”

Pawfectbags cost £38.99

To find out more about Pawfectbags go to https://pawfectbags.co.uk/ or on Instagram @pawfectbags