That Pet Blog That Pet Place Pet Blog
Hi Pet Blog readers, please welcome Adam Holmes with this guest post with some easy ways to reduce your pet’s carbon footprint.
As pet lovers we enjoy buying things and spoiling our pets. Sometimes those extra purchases and items can have a negative impact on Mother Nature. This article is not suggesting that we stop buying dog toys and accessories, but we can take steps to reduce the carbon pawprint of our pets by making responsible and informed choices.
1. Install a Dog Door
Instead of laying down newspapers or potty mats in the laundry room, install a doggie door so your pet can go outside whenever the urge strikes. For safety and security, you may want to install a traditional fence or a wireless dog fence as a great way to keep your dog in your yard.
*Editor’s Note* If you install a wireless fence, make sure that your dog is supervised while he is enjoying the great outdoors. Also note that invisible fences do not keep other pets or animals out of your yard.
2. Biodegradable Poop Bags
We all know that you’re not going to take on poo duty with your bare hands (please don’t) but plastic bags cause a lot of harm to the environment. They are difficult to decompose and if they do they leach harmful substances into the environment. Many pet supply stores have started carrying biodegradable poo bags that come in small dispensers that you can hook onto your leash. Choose these over regular plastic bags and choose paper or reusable grocery bags while you are at the store.
3. Scoop
As unappealing as it is, scoop your dog’s poop as often as possible and always pick it up when you are out and about. When left outside for long periods of time, fecal matter can find its way into sewer systems and water ways and can contaminate the environment. A pooper-scooper can be helpful if you don’t like touching your dogs’ waste.
4. Use Stainless Steel Bowls
Some dogs love to chew on their food and water bowls and we are continually purchasing new dishes for them. Instead of reaching for inexpensive plastic dishes, fork out a couple extra bucks for some stainless steel dog bowls. Hopefully your dog won’t be able to find a way to destroy it and it will reduce waste from plastic dishes in the landfill. An additional health benefit of stainless steel or ceramic bowls is that the bowls themselves do not leach harmful chemicals into your dog’s food or water.
5. Recycle
Everything we buy seems to come in outrageous amounts of packaging, including what you buy for your dog. From their food to their toys, our dogs actually go through quite a bit of garbage, but luckily the majority of it is recyclable. Cans, food bags, and cardboard tags from toys are all recyclable and if you’re like any other pet owner you probably go through a lot of them.
6. Spay and Neuter your pets
Fixing your pets is the best way to control the pet population. Controlling the pet population may not seem like it will have that big of an effect on reducing your dog’s carbon pawprint but the fewer dogs there are, the less of an impact they will have on the environment. Fixing your dog also helps to keep other dogs out of the pound and promotes working towards a cure for the pet overpopulation problem.
