4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day With Your Dog
With Earth Day right around the corner, you may be trying to brainstorm ways to support efforts to protect and preserve our environment. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of a few ways you can celebrate Earth Day with your dog.
Go on a Hike
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One of the best ways to celebrate Earth Day is to go out in nature. For this reason, we highly recommend taking your furry friend on a hike. Just be sure to keep your dog leashed during the adventure! Also, it’s very important for the environment and your fellow hikers to clean up after your dog with eco-friendly waste bags.
Minimize Your Dog’s Exposure to Microplastic & Toxic Plastic Chemicals
In July 2024, EARTHDAY.ORG released a report titled, Pets Vs. Plastics, describing the harm exposure to microplastics and toxic plastic chemicals may be doing to our pets. Given the fact that our furry friends enjoy chewing on plastic toys and inhaling dust particles, they are consuming plastics. According to the report, “these microplastics, microfibers and their additive chemicals have already been associated with a variety of health issues, from embryo development in dogs, 54 to potential infertility, 55 liver failure and miscarriage issues in our pets.” EARTHDAY.ORG also determined that the impact plastic may have on our pets should be further researched.
In addition, the report found that the regulations put in place to keep our pets safe, when it comes to their food, toys, and clothes, need to be far stricter.
In 2024, Woof Republic spoke to Aidan Charron, the co-author of Pets Vs. Plastic and dog owner.
Aidan explained how plastics negatively impact our canine companions' health. He noted that if your furry friend is chewing on “a large plastic toy, that toy starts to break down some of the chemicals that give it its.”
When asked how everyday individuals can demand stricter regulations on our pets’ food, toys, beds, and clothing, he replied that EARTHDAY.ORG was asking for people to write to the FDA.
“We're asking the FDA to further regulate and protect our pets,” said Aiden.
In addition, he encouraged pet parents to stop purchasing plastic items for their furry friends.
If you don’t know what to purchase when it comes to plastic-free goods for your pet, Aiden has some suggestions. He recommends using ceramic or stainless steel bowls for your dog’s food and water. As for toys, he has purchased items with natural fibers for his furry friends. In addition, his canine companions sleep on bedding stuffed with buckwheat.
He also recommended slowly removing toys and bedding made from plastics or synthetic fibers.
Make Your Dog an Eco-Friendly Toy Out of Recycled Material
Photo by Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash
To help eliminate the need for toys that contain microplastics, consider making a rope out of a few old cotton t-shirts. All you’ll need to do is cut out pieces of fabric and weave the strips together. This is a great and fun way to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Donate to an Environmental Organization
Photo by Cortney Chummoungpak on Unsplash
While your dog can’t be trusted with finances, you can make the decision on both of your behalves to donate to an environmental organization. If you don’t know which one to send your money to, here are a few options.