Celebrate and Sustain the Earth with your Animal Companion
Happy Earth Day, Earth Animals! At Earth Animal, we are committed to all things good for the Earth and the animals that inhabit it, and we work hard every day to bring sustainable, Earth-friendly products to animal lovers. In April, we go even further to show our love for Mother Earth as we celebrate Earth Month by donating 1% of our e-commerce sales to planting trees with EarthDay.org’s Canopy Project. Because of this partnership, 3,000 more trees will be planted this year, helping to clean the air, cool the climate, reduce destructive flooding, and provide homes for innumerable wildlife. And we know that our customers are just as passionate about the environment as we are, so we have compiled a list of things that you can do with your animal companion to celebrate the Earth and work to make our home a healthier place.
Vote with your Wallet
The most significant thing you can do to support sustainability is to shop sustainably. Study product labels to make sure that ingredients used are Earth-friendly, avoid buying things made with plastic as much as possible, and shop at stores that are committed to helping the planet. Only purchase flea and tick control products that don’t use toxic chemicals and be sure that shampoos are made with safe ingredients. And, you can reduce the environmental footprint of your purchases and support your community by shopping locally.
Watch your Diet
According to Amy Fleming of The Guardian, “pet food is estimated to be responsible for a quarter of the environmental impacts of meat production in terms of the use of land, water, fossil fuels, phosphates, and pesticides.” That means that just the act of feeding our animals contributes significantly to what the Union of Concerned Scientists calls “one of the biggest environmental hazards facing the Earth.” This is why we need to be vigilant about what we feed our animals by buying food from companies focused on environmental health as well as animal health and reconsidering the sources of protein that we feed our animals.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Go Compostable
Avoid using plastic bags to clean up after your animal companion. Instead, use compostable waste bags that won’t contribute to plastic pollution. Another option is to repurpose plastic grocery or newspaper bags for your clean-up to at least limit the amount of plastic in the environment. Braid old t-shirts and jeans to turn them into chew toys for dogs instead of buying new, environmentally-unfriendly toys. Turn your food waste into animal treats rather than throwing them away. Things like carrot tops are great snacks for dogs. Just be careful to make sure that the food is safe for your animal first.
Adopt Your Pets with Care
Animal shelters are overloaded with animals that would love nothing more than a stable, caring home to live in. Consider adoption as a way to reduce the carbon footprint of these shelters, save a life, and open up a spot for another animal in need. If you do choose to work with a breeder, be sure to check references and ensure they breed responsibly while prioritizing the health and wellness of their animals. And when you do bring an animal into your family, make sure to spay or neuter to avoid contributing to animal overpopulation.
At Earth Animal, our name is our mission. We do all we can to support healthy animals and a healthy Earth all year round. This Earth Month, and every month, we encourage you to join in our mission to celebrate and sustain the Earth with your animal companion.
