Detector dogs: When the potential outweighs the pitfalls

ILLUSTRATION: LEO MICHAEL

When you read our cover story this month, about what M&M Pest Control (MMPC) Founder and President Timothy Wong has gone through this year, you might wonder why he didn’t just walk away from having a canine bed bug scent detection division at all. Could the time, money, effort — and the potential for having what should have been a private personnel matter blow up in media outlets worldwide — be worth it?

In a word, yes. Wong explains his company’s side of an ongoing court case over custody of a working canine, and notes the lessons learned by his team as a result. Wong reports that despite the court case, MMPC’s canine division still brings many benefits to his business, including:

• Accuracy. “We’re able to offer essential bed bug inspection services that are more accurate and efficient than traditional visual inspections,” he says. “Bed bug dogs can cover large areas in a relatively short amount of time, which allows us to work with larger corporate clients.”
• Ambassadorship. In addition to boosting an eco- and customer-friendly image, its four-legged employees remove some of the fear and stigma for customers worried about having bed bugs. “Our pups also help generate a lot of positive online reviews for our business, since they’re so friendly and great at their jobs,” he says.
• ROI. Wong says canine pest scent detection services can yield a profit margin of 25 percent or more, as well as grow treatment revenues.

Read the full cover story now: Dog fight: Court case questions PMPs’ working dog property rights