Abstract: A foldable device for manually picking up samples or substances, which may or may not be foul-smelling, and, more particularly, domestic animal feces. The device is formed by a laminar element including a rectangular principal body having three fold lines or creases perpendicular to its longer sides, a first of the fold lines or creases being in substantially the central region of the rectangle and the other two being close to its shorter sides, thereby to define substantially rectangular end tabs on the body. Substantially triangular lugs are joined to the longer sides of the rectangle, each triangular lug being divided into two triangular parts by a crease originating at the vertex of each lug, the latter coinciding with the end of the central crease of the rectangular body.