Carbon Pawprints-Ways to Reduce Your Pet’s Impact on Mother Earth

written by Amanda Oswald

Hard economic times and an influx in media coverage have forced many Americans to take a cold, hard look at the world around them and our impact on our planet.  Most of us have taken steps to reduce our energy use therefore reducing our impact, or carbon footprint, on the earth.  We have changed our light bulbs, unplugged appliances, maybe even installed solar panels or other alternative energy generators.  We drive our cars less and pump after 6pm.  We do these things because we care about the environment, want to stay with the current trends, or just want to save money.  But what about Fido or Princess?  What impact do they create?

When talking about our faithful 4 legged friends, most of you would imagine that the largest impact they produce is well, what they produce.  Waste.  If only it were that simple!  Each time you put kibble in Fluffy’s bowl, remember that a truck had to haul that bag of kibble many miles from the manufacturer to the store.  The toys in Spot’s toybox?  Also had to be transported, and many pet toys are made from not so earth-friendly materials.  Some researchers speculate that a medium breed dog has twice the environmental impact as a Land Rover being driven 7,000 miles per year.

There are several ways to reduce your pet’s carbon pawprint.  Here are just a few:

• Start with feeding a good quality food.  Remember that the first ingredient listed on a bag of kibble is what makes up the majority of the food.  Avoid foods where a grain is listed as the first ingredient and try to find a protein listed first.

• Ditch the plastic.  Besides being environmentally unfriendly, plastic bowls can harbor bacteria that can make Fluffy ill.
• Go Green.  If you are a responsible pet owner and pick up after your pet on walks, try using the biodegradable version of the classic “poop bag”.
• Become a fan of Hemp.  Many new companies like Earthdog and Simply Fido are producing “green” pet toys using the durable  and organic hemp.
• Purchase a reduction.  Don’t want to make a commitment?  No problem.  There are companies out there where you can actually purchase a carbon pawprint reduction.  They will recycle, plant trees, or whatever it takes to offset your pet’s environmental impact for the next 12 months.

So, there you have it.  Now your pet can be a part of our constantly growing “Greener Society”.  While Fido and Spot may never know what impact these changes can make, Mother Earth certainly will.