Eat Your Dog! Save the Planet?

Robert and Brenda Vale wrote a book on sustainable human living called Time to Eat the Dog?, which recommends getting rid of pets, especially dogs. "Basically dogs are bad for the environment because they are large carnivores, so it takes a lot of land to provide their foods," writes Robert Vale. The book goes on to playfully suggest that pet owners should 'recycle' their pets as food for their former owners. While this joke might seem morbid to many animal lovers, the 'carbon-footprint' of owning a dog for a calendar year is about the same as traveling in an SUV a few thousand miles. Dogs are considered a delicacy in many countries. They aren't as smart as cows and pigs, so why don't we chow down? The reasons are probably more cultural than anything else. In the USA, we grow up around dogs, even in cities, and can't comprehend them as food. If we lived in India and grew up with cows everywhere and everyone telling us they were sacred, we probably wouldn't like hamburgers so much. It's just the luck of the draw, I guess.

So, you're probably not going to eat your dog anytime soon. But, you can still do your part.

You'll still be increasing your 'carbon-footprint' by owning a dog, but you don't have to feed your dog lots of store bought treats and kibble. Dogs are scavengers by nature, surviving fairly well (depending on the breed), on scraps of human food. This doesn't mean feeding the dog under the table, along with their store bought food; it means using leftover food, high in proteins and fats to feed your dog. This is more complicated and takes a little research, usually with a vet's help, but it can be done. Make sure you are weighing your dog. This is the only way to tell if they are overweight. Make sure your dog gets exercise. They are animals and they need excitement, adventure, and the thrill of the hunt.

If your dog is getting a proper diet, and he's still getting too big for his doggie britches, he's not just hurting Mother Earth, he has a potential health problem. Overweight dogs may have canine diabetes, metabolic disorders, or liver damage. You'll have to get Rover checked out by a veterinary professional.

Don't eat your dog. . . yet. At least not until an impending disaster forces you to.