With their industry expanding, the owners of 10 dog manure scooping companies from six states have formed a national trade association.

In the five months since an initial meeting in Las Vegas, membership has grown to 35, or about 10 percent of the country's dog waste cleanup companies.

``After talking with scoopers from around the country, we felt the need to raise the professionalism and public awareness of this relatively new industry,'' said Laura Sprinkles, owner of NIMBY Services in Seattle and president of the Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws).

Tim Stone of Santa Clarita, Calif., serves 350 residential customers in northern Los Angeles County with his firm, Scoop Masters. A co-founder of aPaws, Stone said he knew of only one other company picking up dog waste when he launched his enterprise 15 years ago.

``Today, you can find hundreds of them around the country, and I talk to new scoopers all the time,'' Stone said. ``This is an industry that definitely is picking up - pun intended.''

Eric and Becca Riker, who launched their dog waste removal service in Cleveland in 1999 and are co-founders of aPaws, call themselves ``entre-manures'' and reward year-round customers with a ``poo-pon'' for a month's free service.

In company names and advertising, Eric said, ``everybody in this business has more success with a light-hearted, humorous approach.''

The Rikers, both officers in the new association, said the dog-doo cleanup companies also will find more success with a national trade association setting standards and supplying best-practices business advice. ``We wanted to set ourselves apart, not only our Happy Tails company, but also the other responsible, professional scoopers,'' Eric said.

Becca explained, ``There are a lot of fly-by-night scoopers who see this as a hot fad, a way to get rich quick. Actually, it's a get-rich-slow business. You have to be patient to build your credibility and your bank account.''

Certification by aPaws requires adherence to the association's code of conduct. ``The most important rule in our code is disinfecting your tools and boots between each home that you scoop,'' Eric said. Dog waste can host disease-carrying parasites and viruses posing a danger to humans and canines, he said.

Membership also requires carrying commercial liability insurance and workman's compensation, and disposal of dog waste in compliance with city and state laws. In addition to listing members that meet aPaws regulations, the association provides tips on everything from how to find customers to finding discounts on supplies ranging from disinfectant to promotional T-shirts, Becca said.

``I compare this to the pet-sitting industry,'' Stone said. ``Forty years ago, no one heard of a pet-sitting company. Now, there are thousands around the United States. Many of them are members of a national trade association, which sets industry standards and has a seal of approval.''

Eric Riker predicts that the new association and the industry will continue to grow because customers cover all economic levels. ``We thought it would be a real high-end demographic, but it runs the full spectrum,'' he said.

The association can be reached on the Web at www.apaws.org or by e-mail at info@aPaws.org.