Dogs Going Green

It doesn't take long for a human trend to envelop pets.

If people are eating organic food, wearing environmentally friendly clothes and sleeping on holistic beds, many American pet owners want the same for their furry friends.
The green trend has been evolving for several years but took off after the massive recall of tainted pet food last year.

"The lifestyles of the animals are starting to parallel the lifestyles of the humans," said Sam Blackford, owner of Sam's Downtown Feed & Pet Supply in San Jose. "We've seen a big increase in customer demand for holistic food or pet food with human grade ingredients."

Pet stores now sell hemp toys, English rubber toys labeled Earth-friendly and a line of Planet Dog products labeled as non-toxic and recyclable.

"What we're seeing now is all natural pet bedding for some of the smaller pets, completely organic and biodegradable bedding for hamsters and gerbils," said Michelle Friedman, spokeswoman for PetSmart's more than 1,000 pet stores.

"The most offbeat are the meals that are refrigerated" for dogs, she said. "We have a line called Deli Fresh that is kept refrigerated. It looks like your Mom's stew that she used to cook at home."

With a lucrative $43.4 billion pet industry market and more than 71 million U.S. households that have at least one pet, the green trend is expected to be huge.

http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainmentheadlines/ci_8501482?nclick_check=1

We've been trying for world peace for the longest time, so I guess it's about time we dogs got onboard to end global warming too. Recycled toys and earth friendly packaging will give us a leg up.

Woof! Woof!