Jessica
- updated: 09/03/2020 Becoming an eco-friendly dog walker isn’t as tricky as you might think! By planning ahead and incorporating a few sustainable habits into your dog walking routine, you can set a great example to other dog walkers and make a real difference to your environmental paw-print.
- Always pick up your dog’s poop during your walk
Aside from avoiding a nasty fine, picking up after your dog is hugely important for the environment.
Dog poo can contain bacteria and other harmful nutrients, which, if not disposed of responsibly by dog walkers, finds it’s way into the soil and our waterways. This can have very serious consequences for the health of our lakes and oceans, as well as the safety of soil to humans in parks and ovals. In fact, dog poop is a major reason why dogs are banned in certain public places. So do all dog owners and walkers a big favour by picking up after your pooch!
- Always use compostable poop bags
It’s one thing to pick up after your dog, it’s another to purchase poop bags that won’t contribute to plastic landfill.
If you’re a dog walker, avoid plastic poop bags by bringing your own sustainable supply that does the job: just tie them to the end of the dog leash so you never forget to bring them!
- Collect litter
When you’re out on a dog walk and enjoying a local park or dog beach, why not be an eco-warrior by picking up some rubbish?
If every dog walker picked up a few pieces of plastic from the ground every day, this would have an amazingly positive impact on our planet’s health. And, needless to say, absolutely always take your garbage with you at the end of a day in the dog park!
- Ditch the plastic bottles and containers
As the weather warms up, it’s really important to pack water when you’re on a dog walk to keep your dog hydrated.
Rather than impulsively buying endless plastic water bottles, plan ahead and hunt down a drink bottle that you can keep and reuse. There are plenty of light, insulated and BPA-free bottles on the market, so be sure to add this to your dog walker’s kit. And, rather than using a plastic container for your pooch, bring along a portable dog water bowl that you can use again and again.
- Take your pooch to dog-friendly zones
Though it might be tempting to walk your dog through a nature reserve or park, always do your research first. National, state and many regional parks and reserves in Australia are not dog-friendly, for the important reason that they are home to native animal species and sensitive plant life. Rather than stress out our native flora and fauna, keep your dog walk to designated dog-friendly locations. There are plenty of great dog-friendly parks and beaches to choose from instead!
