Green Your Pet Routine on World Conservation Day!

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Each year, World Conservation Day is celebrated to increase awareness about the best practices to protect our natural resources. By making small changes to your pet routine, you can help keep the planet and your family (fur babies included) healthy! Nessa (pictured above, and currently available for adoption) is super excited to learn more about how small changes can make a huge difference for the earth and the lives of many!

  1. Always dispose of your pet’s waste properly. Not only is leaving your dog’s business on the ground rude to those around you (and often illegal with a risk of being fined if you’re negligent), but it can also spread pathogens. Animal waste carries diseases that can be washed into our water supply that can make people sick or cause algae outbreaks. The Natural Resources Defense Council also urges cat owners to never flush cat feces down the toilet. It can carry diseases that can end up in waterways and affect marine life.
  2. Donate old items your pet doesn’t use anymore. Consider donating items to your local animal shelter. Not only are you keeping old blankets and toys out of a landfill, but you’re helping to provide animals with comfort and support while they are at the animal shelter looking for their forever home.
  3. Use eco-friendly products when you can. There are many ways that you can switch your pet items to eco-friendly products. For example, choosing to purchase bio-degradable poop bags will make a huge difference in your waste management! Make sure to do research before purchasing anything eco-friendly: sometimes they are marketed incorrectly (not actually helpful to the environment) and/or dangerous for your animals!
  4. Adopt an animal. By adopting an animal from a local rescue shelter (like Second Chance Pet Adoptions ?), you can give a home to one of the 6-8 million dogs or cats that enter a shelter every year. If you cannot adopt, donate money to your local shelter to help them continue on in their mission of finding homes for animals in need.
  5. Spay/neuter your pet. Spaying and neutering does not just curb animal homelessness – both lead to happier and healthier pets and pet owners. Neutering male cats reduces their risk of prostate cancer and reduces their instincts to roam, fight, and mark territory (in-home or elsewhere) with urine. Spaying female cats helps to prevent uterine infections and breast tumors, many of which are cancerous. Make sure to spay or neuter your animals to help do your part in controlling the pet population. Learn more about how this impacts the health and safety of your animals through our Kitty Clip Spay-Neuter Program!

 

Resources:

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-be-eco-friendly-pet-owner

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/pets/advice/g314/green-pet-care/