About The Lawn Dogs
Meet Our Pack
Donovan Johns – Founder
Former desk jockey turned pet waste management specialist. Proud dog dad to Cotton (9) and Skully (8)—both rescue labradoodles who remind him daily why this work matters. When he’s not running The Lawn Dogs, he’s teaching Manny life skills one scoop at a time.
Manny Johns – Co-Founder & Inspiration
The reason The Lawn Dogs exists. Manny’s growth, pride, and work ethic inspire everything we do. His journey proves that meaningful work changes lives.
When Father & Son Time Becomes a Community Mission
The Lawn Dogs wasn’t born in a boardroom. It started in a backyard in Meridian, Idaho, where a father wanted to teach his autistic son something the corporate world never could: the dignity of meaningful work, the pride of a job well done, and the joy of serving others.
Donovan Johns had spent years behind a desk developing firmware in the tech industry. The work was fine. The paycheck was steady. But something was missing.
His son, Manny, was growing up. And Donovan knew that the most important lessons: responsibility, reliability, compassion, consistency, these wouldn’t come from a classroom. They’d come from doing real work. Together.
So they started scooping. Their own yard first. Then a neighbor’s. Then another.
What began as quality father-son time became something bigger: a business that could create opportunities not just for Manny, but for others with special needs and people facing difficult life situations. A company that could lift everyone it touched.
Our Mission: You're the Hero.
We're Your Backup.
Mission Statement:
Empower pet parents to be the hero of the household by providing reliable and consistent services.
Vision Statement:
To create a better everyday life for pets and their people.
At The Lawn Dogs, we believe you’ve earned the good life. You work hard. You show up for your family. You love your pets fiercely. And you deserve to enjoy your yard without the guilt, the mess, or the never-ending chore.
We’re here to take that burden off your plate so you can be present for the moments that matter.
Playing with your kids. Throwing the ball for your dog. Hosting friends for a BBQ. Reading a book in the sun. That’s what your weekends should look like.
Not scooping poop.
The Lawn Dogs Values
Reliability
We show up. Same day. Same tech. Every time.
Consistency
You can set your watch by us. And your sprinklers. And your weekend plans.
Compassion
We get it. Life is overwhelming. We’re here to lighten the load.
Excellence
If we’re going to scoop poop, we’re going to be the absolute best at it.
Community
We lift others. Period.
Our Commitment to Community
The Lawn Dogs is on a mission to lift people up.
We create opportunities for individuals with special needs and those facing difficult circumstances
We employ W-2 team members with benefits, training, and career paths
We serve families who need their time back and their yards clean
We treat every client like they’re our only client
We partner with mission-aligned organizations that share our values
We lead in our community through active involvement and sponsorship
Community Leadership
BNI Chapter President
Donovan serves as President of the Impact BNI chapter located in Meridian, Idaho, leading a community of business professionals committed to helping each other succeed through referrals and relationships.
The Collective Community Roundtable
As a title sponsor for Ada County and active member in Canyon County, The Lawn Dogs supports weekly gatherings of real estate professionals and community partners. The Collective’s mission of “Want to make the world a better place? Start in your own backyard” aligns perfectly with ours. We believe in unity, equality, and the power of shared ideas to strengthen families, support friends, uplift business partners, and serve our community.
Our Mission Partners
Duke’s Delites – Every visit includes all-natural dog treats from this Pennsylvania-based nonprofit that employs young adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Your pup gets a healthy reward, and young adults get meaningful employment. Learn more about Duke’s Delites
Sweet Zola’s Candy – We proudly support this Boise nonprofit candy shop that hires and trains individuals with developmental disabilities, giving them real-world job experience and professional skills. When you support The Lawn Dogs, you’re supporting a whole network of businesses lifting people up. Visit Sweet Zola’s
Because business should do more than make money. It should make life better.
The Bottom Line
You have a lawn guy. You have a house cleaner. Now you have The Lawn Dogs.
Nobody judges you for delegating lawn mowing. So why judge yourself for delegating this?
The Lawn Dogs was built on partnership: father and son, business and mission, service and community.
We don’t take that lightly.
So whether you’re a busy parent, a professional who works long hours, someone with mobility challenges, or just a person who values your weekends—we’re here as your weekly partner.
They do it. We scoop it. Together, we normalize smart property maintenance.
The Lawn Dogs – Pet Waste Management
Your Weekly Partner in Backyard Care
Locally Owned & Operated in Meridian, Idaho
Serving the Treasure Valley with Pride Since 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
Our team is committed to providing uninterrupted service, even when the weather decides to challenge us. However, conditions like flooding, heavy winds, extreme colds, lightning, and substantial snowfall could lead us to postpone our visits. We stay ahead of the weather by potentially adjusting our schedule to service your yard beforehand. If that’s not possible, we’ll return the following week to catch up. Since these delays result in a doubled workload, we aren’t able to offer account credits for these instances.
Spring is a busy time—when the snow melts, there’s a whole winter’s worth of mess waiting for us. We might not finish every yard in one day, but we’re committed to getting yours done as quickly as possible, even if it means coming back the next day. We’re here to keep your yard tidy, even when Mother Nature throws us a curveball!
We love to embrace the holiday spirit, but everyone deserves some time off to spend with loved ones. To honor this, we do not provide scooping services on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. If your regular scooping day coincides with one of these holidays, we will pause our services for that day.
Rest assured, we won’t leave you in the lurch. The following week, we’ll be back on track and will scoop up both the current and previous week’s waste, ensuring your yard remains neat and tidy. We appreciate your understanding and wish you a joyful holiday season!
We appreciate that having control over your service schedule is important, and we’ve taken your preferences to heart. While we’d love to accommodate individual scheduling requests, our service days are thoughtfully assigned based on your neighborhood. This approach ensures that we can serve our clients efficiently and keep your yards clean with minimal disruption.
Rest assured, we assign scoop days by location so that we can provide a reliable and streamlined service to each and every customer. If you’re curious about your specific scoop day or if you have any special considerations, we encourage you to contact us. We’re eager to assist and committed to creating the best experience for you and your pets. Thank you for your understanding and for choosing us to care for your outdoor space!
Signing up is a breeze! Simply complete our online form with your contact details, property address, number of pets, and yard size. We’ll be in touch to confirm everything and set up your service. Our friendly team is also on standby to answer any additional questions you may have. We can’t wait to provide you and your pets with our top-notch Pet Waste Removal Service!
Not at all. Your presence is not required as long as our team can access your yard and your pets are safely indoors or otherwise secured. We aim to make our service as convenient for you as possible, so feel free to go about your day knowing we’ll take care of your yard with the utmost care and professionalism. If there are any special instructions for access or additional service notes, please let us know in advance.
We completely understand that your dog is a cherished member of your family and may be the friendliest pup on the block. We always enjoy meeting our furry friends! However, when it comes to providing service in your yard, we must take a cautious approach. Even the most-friendly and well-behaved dogs may feel the urge to protect their territory from someone they don’t recognize.
For the safety of our dedicated technicians and to ensure a distraction-free work environment, we request that dogs be kept inside during our visits. But here’s the good news: if we’ve already had the opportunity to get acquainted with your pup and they are comfortable with our presence, we’re more than happy for them to keep us company while we work!
Absolutely not! We offer our Pet Waste Removal service on a flexible month-to-month basis without the need for a binding contract. You have the freedom to cancel the service whenever you wish, completely hassle-free, with no hidden penalties or cancellation fees.
We accept a variety of payment methods for your convenience. An electronic invoice will be sent to you, which you can pay directly. In addition to digital payments such as Venmo and Cash App, we happily accept cash and checks made payable to The Lawn Dogs. Whichever method you choose, we strive to make the payment process smooth and easy for you.
Our goal is to leave your yard impeccably clean, but long grass can sometimes hinder our ability to spot and remove all pet waste effectively. Overgrown grass, along with yard debris like toys and leaves, can conceal waste, which could lead to an incomplete cleaning. To ensure the highest quality service, we kindly ask that you keep your grass trimmed and your yard clear before our visit.
