Dogs: Worse for the Environment than SUVs?

By Julie Knapp, MNN

If you’re a dog owner and call yourself eco-conscious, guilt might set in after reading the new book Time to Eat the Dog? The real guide to sustainable living by Robert and Brenda Vale, which reveals dogs are worse for the environment than SUVs.

The authors, who designed the first sustainable settlement in the United Kingdom in 1996 and are architecture professors at Victory University of Wellington in New Zealand, measured the environmental impact of our lifestyles from the food we eat to how we travel to sports, hobbies and pets based on the Ecological Footprint technique created by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees.

Bottom line: Our pooches cost the Earth more than a Toyota Land Cruiser. According to the Vales’ research, a medium-sized dog has twice the impact of driving the luxury SUV 10,000 miles. Why? “Basically dogs are bad for the environment because they are large carnivores, so it takes a lot of land to provide their foods,” says Robert Vale. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to get Fido out of the doghouse.

Put your dog on a diet

Since your canine’s carnivorous diet is the biggest factor in his environmental impact, start by looking at what goes in the dog bowl. Most dog food isn’t produced in an eco-friendly way, and the heavy bags of kibble or cans of wet food have to travel miles to get to your door.

Dr. Viv Harris, veterinarian and author of Natural Remedies Dogs and Cats Wish You Knew: A Holistic Care Guide, suggests making your own dog food using locally grown or organic veggies. Your vet can help you work out the perfect mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins to meet your dog’s needs. And with all of the tainted pet food scandals in recent years, your dog may be better off eating homemade meals anyway. After all, many dog foods that claim to be natural still contain byproducts or low-grade meats.

If the do-it-yourself doggie diet sounds like too much work, look for smaller, locally made dog food brands. Or select chicken or rabbit based-kibble, which have a lower impact than beef.

Do your doodie duty

If you ask the Vales, dog poo isn’t such a big deal compared to what goes in the other end. However, if you don’t scoop up the poop, it can contaminate our waterways. If you’re a city dweller and use plastic bags to clean up, choose biodegradable poop bags.

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Read more: Dogs, Pets, carbon footprint, environmental impact, Pet Care

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Jose L.

5:26PM PDT on Apr 25, 2012

When it comes to dog poop i always purchase my dog poop bags from http://www.dogpoopbags.us

send a green star

Brad J.

8:49AM PST on Feb 10, 2012

Well I knew about dog food manufacturers being bad for the environment but I know more about it now. I am still keeping my little lab mix puppy

Marjaana V.

6:29PM PST on Nov 14, 2011

wow! what a bizarre article and off the wall "research". [who paid for That?]

let me see... the kid's dad had a stroke, so he's expendable. one of my grandkids has tourettes, so maybe she should be tossed to the scrap heap, too. they just take up space and use up valuable resources for .........WHOM exactly?

if we start with dogs, where will we end with this?

you will drive your SUV a LOT further than 10 000 m.

good grief.

Tom S.

6:21PM PDT on Sep 22, 2011

No Dam Way. If that is the case then so are humans, mainly the GOP & Teabaggers

Howard C.

4:48PM PDT on Jun 13, 2011

I am not sure if this post is intended as joke or a provactive remark. A dog (a living being) is more harmful than a SUV (a manmade item), oh come on! There are lies, damned lies and the worst lies of all ...... statistics!!! Let's look at these two entities (dogs are entities - SUVs are machines but for this purpose), dogs eat things that would otherwise go to waste, basically the bits of animals that we slaughter for our own consumption, bits that we wouldn't eat and would otherwise go to land fill (and give out methane whilst they decompose). SUVs, or any other motor vechicle for that matter, consume (utilise) carbon that was laid down in far distant history. If you posted this to provoke thought Julie then I salute you; if you actually believe it then ...........

Barack Baboo R.

4:11AM PDT on May 19, 2011

It’s an absolute annoyance, but your dog’s waste can pose a huge threat to the sanitation levels in your surroundings. You can’t have your pet’s poop sticking on your shoes, messing up your backyard, your neighbors’ lawns, or even park grounds. The smell of doggy doo can turn anyone’s stomach, attract flies, germs, and even pollute the nearby water supply. That’s why you need to have a steady supply of Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags on hand. Dog poop bags are the best answer to your dog’s leavings, and while many people make do with ordinary plastic bags, think what that’s going to do to the environment. A single plastic bag will take a minimum of 500 years to disintegrate! Biodegradable dog waste bags, on the other hand, will ensure you can ditch your dog’s poop without hurting the earth in the process. With these sanitary doggie bags, neat disposal of your pet’s poop is as simple as scooping it up, tying the poop bags closed, and throwing it in the trash. You won’t even have to fret about escaping odors. Biodegradable dog poop bags come in scented and colorful rolls that, amazingly enough, add personality to your trash bin. Now who wouldn’t want that kind of garbage-scaping deal? Make sure you have a good stock of Biodegradable dog poop bags, and you won’t have to worry about you – or anyone else – playing footsie with a dog pie.

http://www.911savebeans.com

12:25PM PDT on May 14, 2011

Without seeing the underlying research it is more difficult to disabuse this but it seems to assume that the meat fed to our pet dogs is especially farmed. The reality is surely that dogs are fed those parts of an animal slaughted for human consumption that would otherwise go to waste. Such waste would need to be disposed of. All in all I suspect that this issimply an example of how evidence can be used to support any assertion.

Teresa W.

6:30AM PST on Feb 1, 2011

Children are worse.
Alan very rightly says: 'A childless SUV driver is many times greener than a parent on a bicycle.'
Ban children! Prevent overpopulation!

Michelle G.

5:49PM PST on Jan 5, 2011

Oh Please!! Now we are comparing a living creature to a car. I can't believe it. Humans are worse for the environment than anything; they create SUV's. I think before we go around comparing everything and what it takes from the earth we should probably look only to ourselves. As far as dogs taking energy, my dogs keep alot of carbon out of the local dump.(Scraps from the table carefully meted out.) All of my dogs have lived to ripe old ages and have been healthy. I feed the crows the rest of my carbs. Boy have they adapted well to us unruly humans. The rest goes to my compost which is rich in worms and humus soil. I share this with local raccoons once in a while. They come and feast at the compost, and I like knowing that they are still around and thriving. They are used to and get along quite well with my two yappy dogs. I feed the local bird wildlife, of all sorts, in winter. Whenever it is dry in summer I provide water to them. You may think that is a waste of resources too. Where do you think these resources belong??? The fact is that we pig out on them daily, and give nothing back; we care not, for the creatures trying to survive around us, and with us. I am also an avid native gardener. I like to provide for the natural environment around me directly. If more of us preserved and took care of the places and creatures near us, we would all be more eco-friendly. Stop picking on dogs, and no I will never feel guilty about sharing my life with any of natur

sarah W.

10:35AM PDT on Oct 18, 2010

hmmmm