Flashback to many years ago …
We drove around, spotted a “free puppies” sign … said “we’ll take that one” … guy hands us a puppy … dog & adopters lived happily ever after.
Fast forward to the process for our recent adoption of cute little Daisy…
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After 13 years, we had to say good-by to our family dog Skipper … though he’s irreplaceable, we decided to get a puppy.
Things have sure changed. Here are some highlights of what to expect if you plan to adopt a dog …
Loyal readers know that I’m no fan of ObamaCare.
That said, here’s a field report that even I find laughably far-fetched.
My wife went shopping at Costco and decided to price check our dogs’ meds.
Here’s what she discovered …
We’re not talking Hobbit, we’re talking Pepper.
We’re talking a real unexpected journey.
First, some background for non-Georgetown folks.
Theodore Roosevelt Island is a “living memorial” to America’s 26th president, a great outdoorsman and conservationist.
The national park – located across the Potomac from Georgetown – has “miles of trails running through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands”.
Mapquest says that it’s 3.61 miles from Roosevelt Island to the corner of 34th & O St.
Mapquest’s suggested route is depicted below – follow the windy road out of the park, head over the Key Bridge, turn right on M Street, then head up the side streets.
You probably get the picture.
It’s an easy trip by car, and a nice run on a Sunday morning.
More specifically, it’s a nice run for a well-conditioned guy or gal.
But, what about for a dog?
Here’s where the story gets interesting.
One View: “Everyone should work out their own environmental impact. I should be allowed to say that I walk instead of using my car and that I don’t eat meat, so why shouldn’t I be allowed to have a little cat to alleviate my loneliness?”
And, another …
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Excerpted from AFP: Polluting pets: the devastating impact of man’s best friend, Dec 20, 2009
According to the book “Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living”, man’s best friend could be one of the environment’s worst enemies, according to a new study which says the carbon pawprint of a pet dog is more than double that of a gas-guzzling sports utility vehicle.
A medium-sized dog eats around 164 kilos (360 pounds) of meat and 95 kilos of cereal a year.
Combine the land required to generate its food and a “medium” sized dog has an annual footprint of 0.84 hectares (2.07 acres) — around twice the 0.41 hectares required by a 4×4 driving 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) a year, including energy to build the car.
“Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat.”
Other animals aren’t much better for the environment.
Cats have an eco-footprint of about 0.15 hectares, slightly less than driving a Volkswagen Golf for a year.
“If pussy is scoffing ‘Fancy Feast’ — or some other food made from choice cuts of meat — then the relative impact is likely to be high.”
“If, on the other hand, the cat is fed on fish heads and other leftovers from the fishmonger, the impact will be lower.”
Two hamsters equate to a plasma television and even the humble goldfish burns energy equivalent to two mobile telephones.
And pets’ environmental impact is not limited to their carbon footprint, as cats and dogs devastate wildlife, spread disease and pollute waterways, the Vales say.
With a total 7.7 million cats in Britain, more than 188 million wild animals are hunted, killed and eaten by feline predators per year, or an average 25 birds, mammals and frogs per cat.
Likewise, dogs decrease biodiversity in areas they are walked, while their feces cause high bacterial levels in rivers and streams, making the water unsafe to drink, starving waterways of oxygen and killing aquatic life.
And cat poop can be even more toxic than doggy doo — owners who flush their litter down the toilet ultimately infect sea otters and other animals with toxoplasma gondii, which causes a killer brain disease.
As with buying a car, humans are also encouraged to take the environmental impact of their future possession/companion into account.
But the best way of compensating for that paw or clawprint is to make sure your animal is dual purpose, the Vales urge. Get a hen, which offsets its impact by laying edible eggs, or a rabbit, prepared to make the ultimate environmental sacrifice by ending up on the dinner table.
“Rabbits are good, provided you eat them.”
Full article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091220/lf_afp/lifestyleclimatewarminganimalsfood
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Thanks to Coop for stringing the lead
Excerpted from Progressive Grocer, “NONFOODS: Financing Fido” by Joseph Tarnowski, December 23, 2008
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While today’s economy may be going to the dogs, consumers’ canine friends certainly aren’t feeling it, as shoppers are making sacrifices in their own product choices so their pets can live in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed, according to a recent study by the American Kennel Club.
“In general, people are more dedicated to their dogs than ever before … No doubt dogs bring comfort and stress relief to many people during this difficult time.”
According to the study:
But …
Edit by NRV
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Click link => The Homa Files Blog
Excerpted from Progressive Grocer, “NONFOODS: Financing Fido” by Joseph Tarnowski, December 23, 2008
* * * * *
While today’s economy may be going to the dogs, consumers’ canine friends certainly aren’t feeling it, as shoppers are making sacrifices in their own product choices so their pets can live in the manner to which they’ve become accustomed, according to a recent study by the American Kennel Club.
“In general, people are more dedicated to their dogs than ever before … No doubt dogs bring comfort and stress relief to many people during this difficult time.”
According to the study:
But …
Edit by NRV
* * * * *
Want more from the Homa Files?
Click link => The Homa Files Blog
The Homa Files 