You love your pet and you love the earth, right? So here are five ways to support both, as told by Pucci the pug and Coco the Boston Terrier!

1. Don't use stinky cleaners that sting our eyes! Use natural cleaning products for cleaning up pet and household messes. There are so many eco-friendly products on the market these days that it's easy to skip out on toxic cleaners. Check labels to make sure cleaners are both eco-friendly and pet-safe, then get scrubbing! And we'll try not to throw up on the rug.
2. Spay or neuter your pet. We both got fixed and we feel great! Plus, this prevents adding more homeless/stray pets into the population, or in a shelter where they will likely be put down. That thought just makes us sad.
3. Get creative with recycling for pet toys/beds. You can take an old suitcase and convert it into a dog bed. Or even simpler, an old pillow covered in easy-to-clean fabric makes a comfy perch. Our toys and blankets are constantly getting washed so we can reuse them over and over, plus they smell really fresh!
4. Try making our treats at home. (So far, our mom has not embraced this one, but we think she'd do okay.) There are lots of good pet treat recipes available, just try to skip fillers like corn. Here's a good one we found for veggie dog bones:

Veggie Bones Ingredients:

2-3/4 C. Flour
2 Tbsp. Bran
2 tsp. Baking Powder
3 tsp. Minced Fresh Parsley (good for doggie breath)
1/4 C. Shredded Carrots
1/4 C. Shredded Cheese (your choice--mozzarella, cheddar)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Flax Seed (optional)
1/2 C. Water

Veggie Bones Ingredients:

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Mix together parsley, carrots, cheese and oil. Combine the dry ingredients separately from the veggie mixture. Slowly add 1/2 c. water and mix well. Dough should be moist but not wet. Knead for a minute.
Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Using cookie cutters of your choice, cut out shapes and place on baking sheet.


Bake 20-30 minutes until biscuits have browned and hardened slightly. They will continue to harden as they cool. Store in an airtight container once thoroughly cooled.


Makes 2 to 3 dozen

5. Pick up our poop! We know it's not the most pleasant task but if you use biodegradable bags, that scooped poop won't clog up a landfill or contaminate the ocean through a sewer drain. For cat owners, consider eco-friendly litters that use newspaper and wheat.