What does it mean to be an environmentally friendly dog owner?
Bad news dog owners: the verdict is in, and it is official: owning pets (particularly dogs), is terrible for our planet!
Research from Earth.org suggests that an average sized dog generates 770kg of CO2 per year, simply by existing. This is twice the amount of CO2 generated by an average family sized car!
But of course, its not our dogs’ fault that they come with such a large CO2 output. In fact, most of the CO2 associated with pet dogs is not actually produced by the dog themselves (yes, we know how farty your best pal is, but trust us, even they can’t make that much gas!), but is a result of the choices that we as owners make on their behalf.
Every choice we make for our dogs, from the food and treats we feed them, through to the clothes that keep them warm and toys they play with, has an environmental impact. And unfortunately for us dog owners, whilst the pet product industry might have boomed in the last ten years, it hasn’t always done so with the environment in mind, and a great deal of what we buy for our dogs ends up going into landfill at the end of its lifecycle.
The good news is that because most of the CO2 associated with owning a dog is created by owners, we can also be responsible for reducing the impact on the planet through making different choices on behalf of our hounds.
For example, a study by the University of Edinburgh measuring the different CO2 levels associated with different types of dog food found that by feeding our dogs dry food instead of wet we can see an 8-fold reduction the CO2 emissions associated with that activity. Likewise, insect-based protein (which is now coming onto the pet product market through brands like Yora, the Grub Club and Tuggs) has been proven to produce far less CO2 than animal based proteins (e.g. beef, lamb, turkey etc). There are also a growing number of brands (such as Eddgy, Oh Heck! And Hurrta) that are choosing to make things like collars and harnesses out of vegan leather, or recycled materials to try and enable a more circular economy around these products. Whilst some toy manufacturers (such as the locally manufactured Ovo Egg) are aiming to make toys out of either recycled or natural materials, that will biodegrade naturally.
But as ever, the answer of how to have the most environmentally friendly lifestyle for your dog is not a straightforward one. Things like the size of your dog, their dietary preferences (e.g. meat, fish, veggie, vegan), and where in the world treats and food is sourced from can all impact the amount CO2 associated with their lifestyle. It’s also the case that we don’t always know enough about the full environmental impacts of some newer alternatives (e.g. as this one article in the Conversation points out, whilst insect protein is responsible for far fewer emissions than animal protein, the question of what to feed those insects is still one that many manufacturers are trying to resolve). We also know that cost is a serious consideration for most dog owners, that can sometimes limit what we’re able to afford for our dogs, even whilst we might want to prioritise the environment.
That’s why at Jess Fox and Hound the Dog Grocer, we will always stock a range of environmentally friendly options when it comes to food, treats, toys and more, to give you and your dog choice when it comes to developing an eco-friendly lifestyle. And alongside that, we will do our best to always be honest with you about the various environmental and nutritional advantages and downfalls of all our products, so that you can leave our store feeling informed and confident that the choice you have made is the right one for your dog and the planet.