JDog Junk Removal

Hoosier Navy veteran makes transition from military service to local service hauling away your junk.

July 2020

The fact that there are at least two TV shows centered on the concept that people have too much stuff—“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” and “Hoarders”—makes it clear that America has a junk problem. Lending even more credence to that assertion is a recent survey that found 50% of adults admitted they have too much “clutter.” Now, if that clutter is simply a few too many clothes that don’t fit anymore or are out of style, a quick run to Goodwill can take care of that. But if your clutter hews closer to the hoarding end of the spectrum, maybe it’s time to call the professionals.

That’s where JDog Junk Removal comes in. Whether it’s an old refrigerator taking up space in the garage or a whole mini barn in the backyard, JDog Junk Removal can take it all away. “We haul away old furniture, construction debris, garage clutter, basement clutter of any kind, to help people reclaim their space and get rid of years of old stuff,” says Patrick Cummings, owner of JDog Junk Removal in Indianapolis. Estate sales and foreclosure clean-outs are a big part of JDog’s services. They’ll work with real estate agents and attorneys to quickly clean out homes or businesses where legal estates or foreclosure actions may be involved.

JDog can dispose of commercial junk, as well. They’ll haul away old fixtures and equipment from offices, stores or other buildings to make way for new tenants or renovation.

For residential customers, JDog will “do removal of items like hot tubs, decks, swimming pools, gazebos; virtually any exterior structures,” says Cummings.

Veteran-Owned and -Operated

JDog will get rid of your unwanted trash with military efficiency because, well, Patrick Cummings is former military, a nine-year veteran of the US Navy. In fact, all JDog Junk Removal franchises are veteran-owned and -operated.

Cummings explains that JDog Junk Removal was the brainchild of Army veteran Jerry Flanagan. “Jerry got into this when the recession hit in 2008,” says Cummings. “He did his diligence to figure out a business that could thrive in that climate. Waste management, junk removal and just trash, in general, is something that never really goes away, regardless of the economy or what’s going on.”

“He got a truck and trailer, put ‘JDog’ (Flanagan’s nickname while serving in the Army) on the side, and that was it,” says Cummings. With the help of investors, Flanagan franchised the idea, maintaining the ‘veteran-owned and -operated’ concept. Flanagan recognized the struggle many veterans had making the transition from military to civilian life, so he committed himself to providing a business opportunity exclusively for vets and their families.

Get an Estimate

Cummings says getting an estimate for a junk hauling job from JDog Junk Removal can be as easy as taking a picture. “Typically, the customer can text message me a picture of what they need done, and if I can give them a quote based on the picture, I can do that,” he says. “Another option is to have a crew go to the location with the intention of doing the job, and if they’re not happy with the price, we’ll move on.”

“If it’s something big, like an estate clean-out that would be multiple trucks worth of stuff, I’m definitely willing to come look at that in person. But most smaller jobs I can quote from pictures,” says Cummings.

As a general rule, JDog pricing is based on how much space your junk takes up in its trailers and trucks. It could be as little as one-quarter of a trailer to multiple trailer loads. And remember that military efficiency? Your JDog crew can get the job done in minutes.

“For your typical junk removal job—someone just has furniture that needs to be removed—a lot of times we’re in and out in 20 minutes,” says Cummings. “If it’s something a little more involved, like taking a truck load out of a basement, we might be there for a couple hours. If we’re cutting up a barn and hauling it away, we probably have three guys out there and take two or three hours. Decks are kind of the same. We work pretty efficiently.”

Recycling

Recycling your junk is important to Cummings and JDog Junk Removal. “We try to keep as much out of the landfill as possible,” Patrick says. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, just a few of the benefits of recycling include increasing economic security by tapping domestics sources of material, conserving natural resources, preventing pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators and creating jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States.

JDog Junk Removal donates or recycles 60% to 80% of what they haul away. “We recycle all the metal that we take,” says Cummings. “We recycle anywhere from 2 to 5 tons of metal a week. We also try to repurpose or donate whatever we can.” The kind of junk JDog can haul away runs the gamut: Home furnishings, like mattresses, sofas, carpeting and clothing. Appliances, such as washers and dryers, microwaves, dishwashers and air conditioners. Stuff taking up space in your garage, like lawn mowers, power tools, tires, bicycles. Drywall, lumber, insulation, siding and other construction debris. Backyard clutter like hot tubs, fences, play sets, above-ground pools, patio furniture and storage sheds. They can even take care of items known as e-waste, like computers, fax machines, televisions, monitors, printers, scanners and copiers. JDog Junk Removal can haul away virtually everything except hazardous waste.

From Ship to Shore

Patrick Cummings took advantage of the JDog franchise opportunity in 2016 when he was making his own transition to back to the private sector, having served as an officer aboard the USS Gunston Hall and USS Laboon in South America and the Middle East before transferring to shore duty in Moorestown, New Jersey, ultimately settling in the South Philadelphia area.

“When I was transitioning out of the military, I was at a hiring conference for military veterans in Philadelphia, and ‘JDog’ [Flanagan] happened to be there selling franchises,” says Cummings. “I liked the idea of working for myself. I felt like the ceiling was higher, and I liked the self-motivation involved.” Cummings operated his JDog Junk Removal franchise in Philadelphia for about a year, then transferred it to his hometown of Indianapolis in 2017. The Perry Meridian High School and Indiana State University graduate now has the exclusive JDog franchise in Central Indiana, serving Hamilton, Boone, Marion and other surrounding counties.

Cummings continues to sing the praises of JDog’s corporate philosophy. “JDog definitely gives an opportunity for veterans to become business owners. It’s a thing that a veteran who’s saved even a little money or has access to loans can jump right into the day they get out of the military. That’s what I did.” Whenever possible, JDog franchisees hire vets as employees too. Cummings has a fellow vet as one of his team leaders among his four full-time and several part-time employees.

Satisfied Customers

In the three years that Patrick Cummings and his team have served the Indianapolis area, they have received countless rave reviews and five-star ratings from satisfied customers.

“3 very nice gentlemen had my FULL garage cleared out in about 30 minutes! If you have any hauling done please support this veteran owned and operated business! I am really pleased with them and will DEFINITELY use them again! Highly recommended!”

—Stacie N.

“They said they would be here at 3:00 and they were right on time! Great communication. Did the job well and I really appreciated them coming on short notice. Reasonably priced. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.”

—Kassandra G.

“I was very pleased with the service. I had two trees cut down and hired JDog to dispose of the branches and what not. They did a great job tidying up the area once all the debris was removed. All my interactions with the team were terrific. I will use this service again and I will recommend them to friends.”

—Jennifer M.

You get the idea. As you read through JDog Indy’s reviews on Google, HomeAdvisor and other websites, certain words pop up again and again: courteous, efficient, timely, friendly. These are qualities that Cummings carried over from his time in the US Navy and now instills in his JDog team.

JDog Junk Removal Indianapolis is HomeAdvisor approved, Angie’s List certified and is listed as a Top Pro on Thumbtack.

With credentials like that and hundreds of satisfied customers throughout Central Indiana, you can have confidence that you’re hiring a team that will arrive on time and do the job right at a fair price.

This Is the JDog Promise:

Respect — Treat people as they should be treated, and respect is seen throughout all interactions with JDog customers, employees, peers and the community.

Integrity — JDog has a strong moral compass and believes that working with integrity is the only way to conduct business and create lasting relationships with each other and its customers.

Trust — Customers invite JDog Junk Removal into their homes and place their trust in the company. JDog takes that honor seriously and only conducts business in a manner that further establishes that relationship.

Whether you just want to clean out the garage or you’re a full-blown hoarder (no judgments!), call Patrick Cummings at JDog Junk Removal for a free estimate: (317)719-2420 or toll-free at (844) 438-5364.

Visit them online at www.jdogjunkindy.com. And if you’re a veteran looking for full- or part-time work, Patrick might have room on his team for you.

Writer:

John Cinnamon

Photography:

Submitted