Caring for Pets the Ethical Way

There are so many ways that we miss opportunities to make the care of our pets more sustainable.

Here, below, are just a few of the practices we are employing with our young Groodle, Elsie.

Use ethical and/or local pet food suppliers

We are in the process of changing the way we feed our dog.

• When I make broth I feed her the veges and overcooked bones and meat that I strain out. I get so much of this in fact that we feed the neighbours Viszler as well.This is not only healthy for puppy, but also reduces waste generated from my kitchen. Check with your vet if very well cooked bones are okay for your dog breed before leaving the bones in the mix, or remove them.
• We have found a fantastic subscription service with SCRATCH. They send us tailored food for our dog breed and age and we can slow down or speed up deliveries depending on our needs really easily. Take a look here and use my referral code (REFBCVX5R2VSB) to get $20 off your first order.
• We let our girl lick the scraps off of a lot of our dishes before washing them, again reducing waste and reducing the amount of food we need to buy in for her.

Compostable Poo Bags

We use BioTuff compostable poo bags. They are biodegradable and certified compostable. They are also made using renewable resources and plant-based thermoplastic corn starch resins. These doggy waste bags come with convenient singlet-style handles for easy tying.  And you get four rolls of 15 bags per box.

Learn how to compost with our easy to follow guide here.

Composting Dog Waste

In the past, we have been told not to compost dog waste. Though I challenge that idea and have some evidence to back it up here in this ABC News Article.

We use a dedicated pair of tongs and a scooper to collect waste from our garden and we have a compost bin that is going to be left to compost for 12 months or more to ensure no nasties are carried through from the poo!

By doing this we reduce poo-bag usage and keep the waste on-site instead of it being transported to a pile of landfill in bags where it will produce a greenhouse gas – methane – as it degrades.

You might also consider flushing it down the toilet (bagless) if you don’t have the inclination to compost it.

Another dog waste solution available to purchase (via this affiliate link) is the Ensopet Bokashi Pet Waste Composting System – an innovative system designed to easily and hygienically compost pet waste. Keep your yard clean & reduce landfill whilst enriching and rebuilding your garden soil. 

You can also learn how to compost with our easy to follow guide here.

Share this article with a pet owner and help me on my mission to ethicalise us humans, one small choice at a time.