You recycle, buy organic and use eco-friendly products for yourself – shouldn’t your pet be green too? We have  found 7 tips to help reduce your pet’s carbon “paw-print.”

1. Buy organic pet products

If you groom at home, use earth friendly grooming products that do not contain phosphates, sulfates and other chemicals that are harmful to the planet. Visit groomers that use these products too. Organic products are gentler on the environment, and your pet. You can also find stylish and organic collars and leashes.

2. Clean up after your pet

Leaving pet waste outside is an environmental and health hazard. Pet poo contains harmful bacteria that can enter the water system via storm drains. So be sure to pick up your dog’s waste and dispose of it in the trash, or better yet, a compost heap!  And don’t forget to use biodegradable bags to dispose of waste instead of regular plastic bags!

3. Chemical-free pest products

You’d be shocked at the ingredients in some tick and flea control products. You won’t put toxic chemicals on your body, so leave products with active ingredients like chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos and phosmet off your pet’s body too. Look for pest control solutions that use natural ingredients, they can be just as effective without exposing your pet to toxins.

4. Adopt instead of buying

There are tens of thousands of puppies and kittens born in the U.S. every day. Controlling the pet population is always green, so why not adopt instead and of buying and give a second chance to a new best friend.

5. Spay or neuter

Spaying or neutering pets is an important way to keep your pet healthy and avoid more homeless dogs and cats on the street. Sterilization also helps your pet live longer by reducing the risk of several types of cancer and prostate disease.

6. Feed them all natural pet food

There are now many natural pet food options that are better for your pet and the planet. Avoid foods that contain meat raised with hormones and antibiotics and food containing animal by-products. Unless labeled “FDA Certified Food Grade” that chow contains ingredients not fit for human consumption. If you can eat it, do you really want your pet eating it?

7. Environmentally friendly pet toys

Whether you make them or buy them, your pet will love the toys you give them, so try recycling.   Old blankets and pillows can become a new bed for Fido to shed on. If you must buy, purchase items made from natural, recyclable materials, like hemp.   Also check out companies like Simply Fido and Planet Dog.

Man’s best friend is not only our companion and best friend but seen now as the new kid and part of the family unit.

1.  The majority of people adore children, although some adults prefer to do without the real kids and instead opt to become “dog parents” or kids who have fur.

2.  There are married couples who have made the well-thought-out decision to have dogs, not kids, and couples who want both or for “empty nesters” whose children are all group up and have left the nest, so now dogs have become their substitute children.

3.  Couples are also opting to have children later in life and instead fulfilling their maternal and paternal instinct by bringing a dog into the home, and there is an abundance of single girls and guys that just love dogs and want to have a best friend to hang out with. Who can resist that wagging tail and always happy to see you smile when you walk through that door and come home. All worries or the stresses of the day seem to disappear and your companion looks at you with his or her eyes of pure love and excitement.

4.  With millions of homes overflowing with dogs, today’s parents tend to recognize their beloved pets as family members, deserving of the same sort of services that parents would demand for their children. Dogs are family, and dog parents want to make sure that their four-legged children have a balanced and full life enriched with all the deserving amenities money can buy from the healthiest foods and wellness supplements to cozy beds.

6. Social calendars are filled with pup birthday parties, outfits for  special occasions , play dates, and even photo shoots to document every year much like a school photo.

7. Dogs are the new kids, and many dogs have a social calendar bursting with play dates, sleepovers, outings at the park, and spa days.

Buddha Bark wants to help you strengthen that very special human canine bond but showcasing and providing solutions, products, and activities that help you integrate you companion more fully into your daily life.