Ditch your family pet to save the planet – I Think NOT!!
TAKE out the recycling. Check. Save water. Check. Cycle to work. Check. Turn down the thermostat. Check. Get rid of the pet … 😦
A new book has highlighted that a medium-sized dog has the same ecological footprint as driving 6,000 miles a year in a large 4×4 car.
Hailed as the real guide to sustainable living, the book says that owning a dog or a cat is not environmentally friendly and that they should not be kept.
Other options would be not to have a pet, to share one with other families, or to choose an animal with a small carbon footprint – such as a goldfish – the authors say.
The average cat has as much impact on the planet as a Volkswagen Golf, according to writers Robert and Brenda Vale.
And next time a parent considers keeping a child happy by buying a hamster, they should remember that two of the animals are as bad for the planet as running a plasma television.
In Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, the New Zealand-based pair estimate the ecological footprint of pets from dogs to budgies based on the amount of land needed to grow their food.
Meat-eating swells the eco-footprint of dogs, and cats are not much better, the Vales found.
They say a collie eats 164kg of meat and 95kg of cereals a year, giving it a high impact on the planet.
However, rabbits or chickens can make good pets and also provide meat for the owners, they say. A pair of rabbits can produce 36 young annually, which would provide 72kg of meat – thereby decreasing the owner’s carbon footprint.
In the book, the authors say: “For years, animals have been given a good life and their company enjoyed, and then they have been eaten.
“Children are well able to cope with this situation if they know what is going on, and the process links them into the natural cycles of life and death.
“However, even with this background, there are going to be some people who will never cope with the idea of eating their pets.”
A large dog such as an Alsatian has an ecological footprint of about 0.36 hectares, according to their calculations.
This compares to six hectares for the average human in the developed world.
Mr Vale, an architect, said: “There are no recipes in the book. We’re not actually saying it is time to eat the dog.
“We’re just saying that we need to think about and know the (ecological] impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted.”
He added that sustainability issues will “require us to make choices which are as difficult as eating your dog”.
“It’s not just about changing your lightbulbs or taking a cloth bag to the supermarket,” he added.
“Once you see where cats and dogs fit in your overall balance of things, you might decide to have the cat but not also to have the two cars and the three bathrooms and be a meat-eater yourself.”
By Jenny Fyall
Source: http://news.scotsman.com/uk
Posted: Just One More Pet
November 4, 2009 - Posted by justonemorepet | Animal or Pet Related Stories, animals, Just One More Pet, Pet Owner's Rights, Pets, Unusual Stories, We Are All God's Creatures | chickens, chickens instead of dogs as pets, climate change believers gone crazy, counting your dogs ecological footprint against him, Ditch Your Dog, dogs, Eat Fido, family pets, green craziness, rabbits, rabbits instead of dogs as pets, The indoctination of America, The indoctrination of pet owners, using your dogs ecological footprint against you
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Save a Life…Adopt Just One More…Pet!
Everyday we read or hear another story about pets and other animals being abandoned in record numbers while at the same time we regularly hear about crazy new rules and laws being passed limiting the amount of pets that people may have, even down to one or two… or worse yet, none.
Nobody is promoting hoarding pets or animals, but at a time when there are more pets and animals of all types being abandoned or being taken to shelters already bursting at the seams, there is nothing crazier than legislating away the ability of willing adoptive families to take in just one more pet!!
Our goal is to raise awareness and help find homes for all pets and animals that need one by helping to match them with loving families and positive situations. Our goal is also to help fight the trend of unfavorable legislation and rules in an attempt to stop unnecessary Euthenization!!
“All over the world, major universities are researching the therapeutic value of pets in our society and the number of hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and mental institutions which are employing full-time pet therapists and animals is increasing daily.” ~ Betty White, American Actress, Animal Activist, and Author of Pet Love
‘Until One Has Loved an Animal, Part of Their Soul Remains Unawakened’
So if you have the room in your home and the love in your heart… Adopt Just One More Pet or consider becoming a Foster parent for pets… Also check out: Little Critter: Just One More Pet
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There is always room for Just One More Pet. So if you have room in your home and room in your heart… Adopt Just One More! If you live in an area that promotes unreasonable limitations on pets… fight the good fight and help change the rules and legislation…
Save the Life of Just One More…Animal!
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As I have been fighting Cancer… A battle I am gratefully winning, my furkids have not left my side. They have been a large part of my recovery!! Ask Marion
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One More Pet Emily loves animals so much that she can’t resist bringing them home. When a local farmer feels under the weather, she is only too eager to “feed the lambs, milk the cows and brush the rams.” The farmer is so grateful for Emily’s help that he gives her a giant egg... Can you guess what happens after that? The rhythmic verse begs to be read aloud, and the lively pictures will delight children as they watch Emily’s collection of pets get bigger and bigger.~~ 2000+ Dog Books And All Things Dog ~~
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If You Were Stranded On An Island…
A recent national survey revealed just how much Americans love their companion animals. When respondents were asked whether they’d like to spend life stranded on a deserted island with either their spouse or their pet, over 60% said they would prefer their dog or cat for companionship!
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I would’ve thought having a dog was enough, but my parents also got an aquarium with some fish. It’s not really an issue now, but crowds can change. i was watching David Letterman earlier and they were talking about squirrel pie.
Comment by sherwinjtb | March 25, 2010 |
Truly loving a pet (animal) makes you a better person. Some people have more love to give than others!!
As for Letterman… he is the squirrel!!
Comment by justonemorepet | March 26, 2010 |
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