A pet waste collector including a shaft including a first end and a second end, a clamp mechanism connected to the second end of the shaft, and an actuator mechanism operably connected to the clamp mechanism, the actuator mechanism be disposed at the first end of the shaft. The clamp mechanism is movable between an open position and a closed position. The clamp mechanism is configured to retain a bag in the open position. The clamp mechanism moves to the closed position in response to actuation of the actuator mechanism to capture pet waste within the bag.