How To Be An Eco-Friendly Pet Owner

Incorporating sustainability into your life as a pet owner can be challenging. Every single action we do for our fur buddies may have possible repercussions to the environment. Fortunately, here’s some great news, there are a few simple steps you can take along the lines of eco-friendly living to significantly reduce your ecological footprints. Just follow these steps to be a more eco-friendly pet owner. 

Sustainable Diet

You have two good options when choosing your pet’s food: Buy sustainable pet food and save yourself time and energy or make your own!

One of our favorite green initiatives is to eat naturally. You can introduce a raw diet to your dog to cut down on processed ingredients. Natural foods are chemical-free and come from sustainable resources.

For those who want to buy their pet-food instead, brands such as The Honest Kitchen, Vegeco, and Steve’s Real Food, are my choice. 

Choose Eco-Friendly Toys

Pet toys are a must-have. A toy can inspire pet-play and can take the edge off a tough-day.

Are you thinking about introducing a new toy to your pup? Skip the plastic toys and consider toys made from sustainable materials. It will not only protect your dog from harmful chemicals and additives, but it will also help the environment. 

Look for companies making sustainable toys from durable, recyclable, and non-toxic materials.

How to Dispose of Pet Toys?

Keep Toys Out of the Landfill

Proper disposal of pet toys can be a little challenging. These toys can end up in the landfill where they’re unlikely to decompose. We don’t want to add to an already problematic situation. The best you can do in this scenario is buy toys from an environmentally-oriented pet store.

Donate

Have you ever brought a toy home just to have it destroyed in a matter of hours (and sometimes, minutes)? You’re not alone, we’ve all been there. There are also times when your pet plays with a toy a few times, but then doesn’t seem to have any interest in it after that.

This is why it’s important to not throw a toy away before it has lived its full life. There are animal shelters on the lookout for toys – donate unused pet toys to them instead.  

Aside from donating your pet’s toys, you can also repurpose or recycle the toys. In many instances, you can try to sew a toy back together or fix it to extend the toy’s life. 

Read the Label

Make it a habit to read the label first before purchasing pet-care essentials. Go for organic components safe for both the environment and your pet.

Use shampoo, sprays, and repellants responsibly. Vets suggest not to use pet-treatment spray or repellants unless strongly recommended by them. Pet treatments and sprays may contain chemicals potentially harmful to the planet and your pet. 

Buy or Make Sustainable Pet Products

Buying or making sustainable pet products is another way to reduce your pet’s carbon paw-prints. 

DIY Dog Beds and Clothes

If you have good sewing skills, you can make your dog’s bed from recycled clothes. Or you can buy an earth-friendly pet bed with eco-friendly materials like hemp, fabrics made from recycled plastic, or organic cotton. You can also turn old clothes into a dog sweater instead of buying new. It’s not only sustainable, but it’s also economical.

Collars and Harnesses

Purchase sustainable dog collars like bamboo dog collars. Bamboo dog collars are adjustable, easy-to-use, and can be customized. There are also other affordable collars and harnesses made of organic materials.

Eco-Friendly Pet Bowls

The main thing you should truly avoid when picking a pet bowl is plastic. Plastic pet bowls are bad for your pets. They contain toxic BPAs which can be transferred into your pet’s food and water.

Eco-Friendly Walks

Becoming an eco-friendly dog walker will make your environment a better place to live in. Incorporate these habits into your daily dog walks and set a great example to other dog owners:

• Always pick-up after your dog – Dog poop will not break down on its own. When the rainwater washes over the dog feces, it can contaminate lakes, seas, and rivers. Dog feces can also spread infections to other dogs if not picked up properly.
• Collect Litter – While walking with your dog, why not pick up some trash? It’s a good initiative and keeps the environment clean!
• Stay off the grass and plants – Instead of letting your dog walk on grass and plants, let him walk along the sidewalk or in designated dog-walking zones.
• Don’t drive for walks – It’s pretty simple, choose a walking park near home. Enjoy the fresh air with your dog and allow him to explore and sniff around.
• Use eco-friendly travel products – Dog walks can also mean hiking and traveling with your dog. And when you do, make sure you’re equipped with the right sustainable products.

You don’t need to do all of these tips perfectly. It takes a little practice to master all these. Just remember to prioritize sustainability. Commit to sustainability and plan how you can effectively do it to become a more eco-friendly pet owner.

Author bio: Ane Graham is a dog lover who is passionate about giving green, eco tips for sustainable living with pets. If not writing, she’s on her laptop looking for the next best eco-friendly pet product. You can read more of her tips at dogclublife.com.