"Green" Dogtoys and Accessories

I've lived in places where -- not only do dogs eat butcher scraps and chew on regular-old sticks, but  -- people actually use what they own until it is completely beyond salvaging. Places where kids don't have stuffed animals, much less dogs. And here in New York, we give our dogs stuffed animals knowing full well that they'll rip them to shreds in twenty minutes, in search of the squeaky center!

With the heyday of the stuffed animal for doggies, even our dogs are generating lots of non-biodegradable waste. There's no need to involve our dogs in the mess we're creating of the planet.

The best way to go is to invest in durability as you buy pet toys, food bowls, sweaters and beds. Like everything else in the old days, the classic dog toy was originally longer-lasting and biodegradable. Rope toys can last much longer than plastic bones. Wool toys are far more durable and lasting than polyester ones.

Dogs don't really distinguish between, say, an old leather glove that's lost its other half, and a beautifully-crafted porcupine stuffed animal....Yet I have a loose wallet when it comes to my cares, and I find myself indulging in a frivolous pet present now and then.

So I've been giving new thought to "green" pet toys. My favorite kind so far (pictured to the right), are made of durable, biodegradable boiled wool, and come from A Cheerful Pet, which claims to be fair trade, "green" and to donate to a medical campaign in Nepal. I think they may actually be telling the truth, though at present I cannot verify that.

It should be no surprise, in this day-and-age of "green products" of every kind -- whether recycled or biodegradable, repurposed or salvaged --  that you can go green with any pet product. Consider seeking out locally-made toys, rather than buying online, to reduce the environmental cost of packaging and shipping. For that matter, make one yourself!

-Recycled plastic fetching balls and salvaged tennis ball tugs (If you play tennis yourself, and have an excess of balls, try sending them to a local dog charity)

-Fire-hose tugs, and re-purposed pant-leg tugs

-Recycled polymer dog beds, and recycled bottle dog mats

-Recycled plastic dog-bones

-Recycled cotton jackets and salvaged sweaters

-Re-purposed plastic bag braided leashes

-Repurposed sweatshirt bag-dispenser

-Re-purposed dog-carrier pack

-Biodegradable, disposable, on-the-road dog-dishes

-Recycled milk bottle frisbees

If you insist upon getting a classic stuffed animal, it turns out the American Kennel club makes plush toys manufactured from recycled insulation and packaged in recycled cardboard.

Just be careful to discern the difference between genuinely green, and "greenwashed", products. (Luckily, the Federal Trade Commission is finally starting to be on our side with this one.) Once you've done your research, found some truly ethical products, ask your local petstore to give some of the above a try...