Sustainable Pups
I was reading an article in the “Dog News Daily” that led with how some hard-core environmentalists are saying dog ownership is bad for the planet, then goes on to describe how you can make your pet ownership more eco-friendly. The article’s first suggestion–“consider getting a smaller dog.”
Ummmmm….
Okay, first off, who even talks about having a dog in terms of the eco-friendliness of it all? Definitely not anyone who has ever enjoyed the company of a canine companion. Why not just condemn people for having children? Let’s face it, people are the beginning and end to our environmental problems. What exactly do these “hard-core environmentalists” propose we do with the millions of animals currently languishing in shelters or fighting for food on the streets? Do they think if people stop adopting them, the problem will just go away? The ostrich strategy always works out great.
Secondly…adopt a smaller dog? Do they think dog manufacture is based on the capitalist rules of supply and demand? That if more people want small dogs, the shipments on big dogs to shelters will dry up? Adopt the dog you want and connect with, in a size that makes sense for your lifestyle. To do anything else will result in an unhappy dog and human relationship, and probably end with the dog right back in the shelter.
While I appreciate and fully support doing things such as paying a little more for bio-degradable poop bags, using earth-friendly pet soaps, and definitely feeding organic dog foods (better for the health of the dog anyway!), and most certainly spaying and neutering, don’t put the problem all on the dog’s shoulders. The message shouldn’t be eco-shaming dog guardians for their choice in furry companions. The dogs are here on this planet already, wagging their tails, and desperately in need of stable homes and love. Not adopting them–even the biggest Great Dane–is not the solution. As stewards of this planet, we have to take full responsibility for the damage we do to it, and don’t try to pawn the problem off on our fuzzy friends who are just making it a better place to be. After all, humans are responsible for domesticating canines in the first place.
Adopt a furry companion from a shelter, and feel confident that you’re doing something good for the dog, the planet, and most certainly yourself.