Food:

• Be sure to buy dog and cat food that comes in recyclable tin cans, bags, or cardboard containers. Plastic food containers are made of toxic material and take years to break down.
• Artificial colors, flavors and texture enhancers such as sodium carboxy-methyl-cellulose (an edible plastic) should be avoided in any high quality pet food.

Grooming:

• Avoid harmful additives in pet shampoos such as FD&C dyes, EDTA and DEA. These are not good for your pet or for our environment.
• Choose a naturally biodegradable castile soap which is made from vegetable oil and is usually free of artificial preservatives and synthetic fragrances.
• Cat Litter: Commonly used clay cat litter is “strip mined” from the earth. Try using cat litter made up of newspaper, silica pearls, ground corn cobs, straw pellets, pine sawdust, kenaf pellets, and other cellulose fiber products.
• If buying products in plastic container, try to buy the ones in either No. 1 or 2 bottles so you can recycle them when finished.

Toys and Accessories:

• Many toys are made of plastic - toxic material that takes years to break down. Be sure to buy toys and accessories that are made from natural fibers, are raised organically, and processed without harsh chemicals.
• Even though Nylon collars are not recyclable, they are very strong and can be thrown in the wash if they become soiled which means they are durable and longer lasting compared to leather collars.

General Tips:

• Be sure to spay/neuter your pet; Six to eight million dogs and cats enter shelters ever year; almost half are euthanized because they are not adopted.
• Be sure to keep your pet on a leash when outside. Numerous wild animals are killed each year by household pets.

References:

• www.green-living.com
• www.ecocycle.org
• “ Eco Dog” Textbook authored by Corbett Marshall and Jim Deskevich

Visit these notable organization websites:

• www.oldmotherhubbard.com
• www.seventhgeneration.com