Become A More Eco-Friendly Pet Owner

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If you’re one of the many people who are looking at their lifestyle and thinking about how you can be more eco-friendly and sustainable in just about every aspect, then you need to look beyond yourself as an individual. You should also be looking at how your family life contributes to your impact on the world. Of course, if you have a four-legged friend, they are just as much a part of your family life as anyone else.

Here are some tips pet owners should keep in mind if they want to be more eco-friendly.

Make Sure You’re Ready

One of the biggest pet sustainability problems is when people buy a pet that they are not fully prepared to take care of. More often than not, this leads to the pet being rehomed or even left at a shelter. This is a big problem because you are creating the demand for more dogs by buying one, but not meeting that demand. It means another dog in the world without an owner to immediately care for it which is, for obvious reasons, very wasteful. Check out the questions to see if you’re ready to take on the responsibility that looking after a dog will entail.

Adopt Don’t Shop

If you want a certain type of dog, then buying them is probably your best bet of getting the specific breed that you’re looking to house. However, there is a conversation to be had about adopting dogs, as well. Rescue animals require just as much love, care, and resources as the next dog. Furthermore, there is the issue of over breeding to consider. There is an increasing risk of the world having more dogs than we have pet owners willing to look after them. This isn’t to guilt anyone who wants to buy but, if you’re not looking for a specific breed suited to your lifestyle, it’s might be worth considering adopting.

Ensure Your animals Are Healthy

Simply put, if you don’t do the due diligence to ensure you’re welcoming a healthy pet home, then they can develop health issues that can lead to them getting sick or having puppies without your intention. This can be an issue since every new dog demands a little extra of the world’s resources. If they’re unplanned, they can be more difficult to house, too. Make sure that you’re only looking at reputable sellers who can help you keep up to date with your dog’s health records. I suggest adopting from local shelters. Even when you do get a good deal, be sure to take your dog to the vet for the essential checks and spaying/neutering, too.

Feed Your Dog The Best

One of the best ways to ensure you’re being as eco-friendly with your pup as possible is to make sure that you’re using eco-friendly dog products. One of the products you’re likely to buy more often than anything else is the food that you feed them. Just as with your food, you should take a closer look at where your dog’s food comes from and how it is made. There are plenty of sustainable dog food companies that make sure they use natural products, as well as using minimal packaging with those foods that aren’t recyclable. Not only are natural foods better for the environment, but they’re also better for your dog, too.

Treat Poo With Care

The dog litter that gets left by the wayside isn’t just unsightly, but it’s also a health hazard to not only people and other dogs but the wildlife around them. As such, simply leaving it to decompose, even if it’s in your yard, is not the best of ideas. You can simply scoop up that poop and flush it down the toilet to get rid of it much the same way you would get rid of your own. However, there are also recycled dog poo bags that can make sure that you’re at least using bags that don’t add to the world’s waste problem when they’re in a landfill.

Choose Green Toys and Suppliers

Just as you choose food that’s better for the planet, you can do the same for the toys that you bring into the home. There are a lot of plastics in dog toys, but there are plenty of alternatives that can help you prevent the ever-growing problem of plastic waste. Aside from making sure that you’re buying fewer dog toys that are made from problematic materials, you can also look at buying more toys second-hand. Not a lot of people will turn in their pre-owned toys to thrift shops around them, but there could be toys in the children’s section that your pooch would love to get their teeth into just as much. Simply make sure that the toys are safe for them to play with.

Support Local Businesses

One of the easiest ways to go eco-friendly in any aspect of your purchasing decisions is to better support the smaller businesses that make or supply their goods. One of the biggest problems facing the environment today is not only the products that we use but also how we get them. Large national corporations with multiple franchises are more likely to rely on truck transport, which uses a ton of carbon to move goods from a warehouse to a storefront. You can’t be entirely sure of how any store will manage its supply chain, but local independent businesses are a lot less likely to rely on as much carbon usage.

It can be difficult to be a more eco-friendly dog owner, there’s no denying that. Sometimes, you have to choose whether to prioritize your impact on the world or the health and happiness of your dog. Hopefully, the tips above always help you find a balance.