5 Tips On Going Green With Your Pet

If you own a pet, make a commitment to reduce their carbon paw prints while you’re improving their health and quality of life. Here are 5 tips for taking care of your four-legged family member while you’re also caring for Mother Earth.

1. When you’re looking for a new pet, adopt one from a local shelter. You’ll be making a stand against the shoddy conditions and over-population fostered  by mass-breeding puppy mills. There are hundreds of adoptable, lovable pets at shelters and animal rescues just waiting for the right home and a loving family.
2. Have your pet spayed or neutered. It’s sad to read that the ASPCA estimates  anywhere from three to four million pets are euthanized each year. The ASPCA also estimates that there are more than 70 million stray cats living in the U.S.  Pet overpopulation takes a toll on our environment and can actually be dangerous for our families. Do your part by taking the responsible step of spaying or neutering your pet.
3. Most of us are careful about what we eat—choosing healthy, organic food for our families when possible. Take it a step further and look for organic options when you’re buying food for your pet. Conventional pet foods can contain pesticides, added hormones, even antibiotics. In 2007 there was a huge pet food recall after a common ingredient—melamine—was traced to the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats. Melamine is commonly found in plastics, cleaning products, even fertilizer—what was it doing in pet food? Organic pet food may be more expensive at the outset, but healthier diets lead to healthier pets—meaning fewer visits to the vet and lower medical bills.
4. Use biodegradable bags instead of plastic grocery bags to bag your pup’s poop. Plastic bags take lifetimes to decompose in landfills. Even better is to compost your pet’s poop in a pet waste container.
5. Use natural grooming and pet-care products. Just like pet food, shampoos and other pet grooming products often contain more chemicals than you’d ever guess possible. Make a habit of reading labels to check out the ingredients.

Call or email the At Your Service pet concierge for pet walks, pet sitting, pet food delivery, trips in the pet taxi to the vet, or a special grooming appointment (yes, we pick up and deliver!). Cats, dogs, fish, birds, turtles, reptiles…we love them all!