By Merry Rosenfield
When I was a kid, almost everyone had a pet dog in my neighborhood. We didn't worry much about barking, and if you stepped in dog droppings, you got laughed at for not paying attention!
This was the 1950s, before the era when dog lovers marched around with plastic baggies ready to pick up their pet's little gifts to take home. I don't think it's a bad idea to clean up after your pets, but at least dog poo is biodegradable, unlike the plastic bags they get wrapped in for the trash.
Looking a little more to the future, and I mean to the environment of all the animals, pets plants and people that will come after we're pushing up the daisies might not be a bad idea. Pet people are generally concerned about the world we live in- they are at least looking beyond their own survival to that of their beloved pets.
I've always been a pet lover, and I would extend that to being an animal lover, regardless of origin, size or even species. To me, the best part of science class in grade school was examining a drop of pond water for those hundreds or maybe millions of fascinating microorganisms swimming around.
These days we know that the measure of a healthy pond or any body of water is the number of microorganisms surviving there, and in what ratio. I know I'm sounding ancient when I say this, but back when I was a kid I never heard of polluted water, ponds or rivers you couldn't swim or play in.
My summer days were spent at the local creek in Winton Woods in Ohio, watching crayfish back under rocks and salamanders slither through the murky water. I doubt I paid any heed to washing my hands before munching on an apple.
If my granddaughter were similarly occupied, (and I hope she will be soon- she's only 4 now) I'd be after her to wash up carefully with good old soap and water.
Some things that pet lovers today may want to think about are:
• Recycling their trash
• Coming up with an alternative to collecting their dog's leavings in plastic bags
• Eating less meat
That last one may not be too popular, but industrial farming is one of the biggest polluters out there. And although I'm not a strict vegetarian (I eat some eggs, dairy, and the occasional piece of fish or chicken) I am against the brutal way that farm animals are raised and slaughtered.
Besides, it's said there are health benefits to eating less meat. Who can argue with that! Some of my favorite recipes are meat free gourmet concoctions that I've either made up myself or gotten from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks.
I know that pet people love their pets, but it's easy to be short-sighted about our own habits. You can always make a few changes and see how it goes. And you know future inhabitants of this beautiful planet (animals and people) will benefit from your selflessness. If you believe in future lives, you'll have yourself to thank!
Merry Rosenfield, co-owner of themagiczoo.com loves animals and has created a blog for her fellow pet lovers. If you are a dog lover, be sure you are taking care of yourself as well as your pooch. Merry has created oodles of wonderful silver animal designs for her fellow pet lovers. One of Merry's favorites is cooking vegan style and she highly recommends you give it a try.
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