In honour of World Environment Day (June 5th), we’ve put together a small guide on how to be an eco-friendly pet owner to try and help keep our planet greener and safer. The theme this year is ‘Only One Earth’ which emphasises the need for us humans, and four legged friends, to become more sustainability conscious in an effort to preserve our precious planet. So, how do we transform our furry friends into eco-friendly pets? Read on to find out…
Why is it important to be a responsible pet owner?
Have you ever wondered how many pets are in the UK? Well, according to the PDSA, in 2021 there were a recorded 21.2 million cats, dogs and small pets 😳 and that figure has most likely increased with the boom of pandemic pets!
So, with this number of pets running, pouncing and hopping around, you have to factor in all the products needed to cater for such a large population. We’re talking food, toys, bedding, accessories, medication, grooming products, litter, and the list goes on. The majority of these products will be presented in some form of packaging and will leave behind an environmental footprint all the way from manufacturing to export to rubbish bin and beyond.
Being a responsible pet owner, doesn’t only mean you pick up their poo behind them in the local park, it can also mean you’re making the odd environmentally friendly choice when it comes to your pet, like using biodegradable poo bags to clean up after them.
So, why is it important to be a responsible pet owner? It’s important to not only keep your pets happy and healthy but to also keep the environment in which you and your fluffy friends live in happy and heathy too. Making greener choices and being an eco-friendly pet owner means that us humans and pets can keep on thriving together for millions of years to come.
Ways you can be an eco-friendly pet owner
Being an eco-friendly pet owner is not all about buying sustainable pet products (although that is a biggie), there are many little adjustments you can make in your and your pet’s lives that’ll put us one step closer to saving the planet! Here’s a couple of ideas:
- Pass on your unloved pet toys
Is your pet spoilt rotten with an abundance of toys? Perhaps have a sift through their toy chest and donate any toys they no longer use to fellow pet parents. That way, the toy will still be loved, and it saves excess packaging from buying new ones.
- Be conscious of wildlife on walkies
When walking your dog, it’s important to take in your surroundings and keep your pooch on the lead when you know important wildlife are present. This helps keep our wildlife safe and helps protect our eco-system.
- Walk the walk
We all love a long dog walk, and of course it’s great to discover new places, but how often are you jumping in the car to head somewhere on a dog walk? Try and be conscious of how much you’re travelling to walk the dog and replace that with local walkies where you can.
- Sustainable pet products
Be aware of how much plastic packaging you’re purchasing and make sustainable swaps if you can. Products like biodegradable litter and poo bags are a great place to start when it comes to making greener swaps.
- Adopt don’t shop
Not only is it great to give a previously unloved pet a safe new home, but it also helps with pet overpopulation.
In conclusion, even the smallest swaps and steps responsible pet owners can make can help keep our environment safer and heathier for us all to enjoy.
We hope Vital Pet Club has helped pave the way for you to become an eco-friendly pet owner! Update us with the progress your eco-friendly pets are making over on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
