How The Dog Treats You Buy Can Reduce Your Dog's Carbon Footprint

How The Dog Treats You Buy Can Reduce Your Dog's Carbon Footprint


Did you know you can treat your pup to a delicious snack while also positively impacting this beautiful planet? When you support dog treat brands that give a damn, you’re supporting small businesses that want to make a positive impact. 


Luckily, there are dog treat companies out there who care about your dog's health and the health of the planet just as much as you do. 


In addition to spotlighting our favorite dog treat brands in this post, we also wanted to talk about how the dog treats you buy can impact your dog’s carbon footprint (i.e., pawprint) and what you can do to help reduce it! 

Why You Should Care About Your Dog’s Treats

The food your pup eats matters. We’ve already tackled the impact your dog’s food has on the planet in this post, but we haven’t talked about the impact dog treats have on your pup’s health and the environment. 


Like your dog’s food, you should opt for dog treats that are wholesome, nutrient-rich, and sustainably made from responsibly-sourced ingredients –whenever and wherever possible. Sounds impossible, right? We promise it’s not!


There are dog food and dog treat brands out there that prioritize sustainability, nutrition, and responsibly-sourced ingredients for their products because they know that what you feed your dogs matters for their health and well-being – and the planets! 


From organic ingredients to recycled packaging and everything in between, here are a few factors that you should consider to make buying decisions that benefit the earth and your pup!

Organic Dog Treats

‘Organic’ is a term that indicates “the food or other agricultural product has been produced according to the USDA organic standards…These methods integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity.”


Like human snacks (and food in general), if you can find organic dog treats, you’ll know that each ingredient has met high ecological standards set by the USDA. Some of our favorite organic dog treats include:

Our Favorite Organic Dog Treats

Grandma Lucy’s Organic Dog Treats

Grandma Lucy’s oven-baked organic dog treats are “made from 100% USDA organic human-quality ingredients.” Their treats are Certified Kosher and contain no preservatives, byproducts, artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors, hydrogenated oils, or trans fats.


Grandma Lucy’s even has a vendor promise stating that “each batch is tested for salmonella, lead, e-coli, mercury, arsenic, coliform and melamine and that the ingredient is GMO-free.”



Dog Mamma’s Organic Dog Treats

Dog Mamma’s small batch treats support sustainable organic farming and clean eating for your dog with each bag of treats they bake. Their small batch treats are handcrafted and use “real fruits and vegetables, all grown without the use of harmful pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, radiation or GMO’s.”


We love Dog Mamma so much we’ve included them in our subscription boxes and our online shop so your pup can enjoy their yummy goodness, too!


Dog Treats With Sustainable Ingredients & Responsible Farming Techniques

All dog treats are made of some type of agricultural ingredient, whether it’s an animal product, vegetables, fruits, seeds, or something else. No matter what type of food is inside your pup’s dog treat, it’s essential to make sure that responsible farming techniques are a high priority or that each dog treat is sourced with sustainable ingredients.

Jiminy’s Cricket Dog Treats

Here at Pure Earth Pets, we love Jiminy’s Cricket Dog Treats (Dover does, too!). Not only are these dog treats grain-free, gluten-free, corn-free, glycerin-free, and made without antibiotics, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives –but they're made with cricket protein powder!


Cricket protein powder is a more sustainable and alternative protein source for dogs (and humans!) and is becoming a more popular cooking ingredient in the modern kitchen. 


Why? Because cricket protein is a highly nutritious food source rich in “prebiotic fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. It’s very bio-available (in other words – cricket powder is easily digested).” It’s also packed with B vitamins and contains all the essential amino acids. You can read more about the health benefits of crickets here.


Additionally, sourcing crickets for protein can help save land and water and emit fewer greenhouse gases when compared to sourcing traditional animal protein. Although, according to agronomist Mark Lundy and horticultural entomologist Michael Parrella from the University of California, the issue is more complex than just swapping out protein sources.


Chippin Dog Treats & Snacks

Another Pure Earth Pet favorite! Chippin has a curated selection of all natural ingredients, including cricket-based treat options to combat land usage used for animal protein, wild-caught silver carp to combat the overpopulation in the Great Lakes, and spirulina which is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet! 


Did we mention they’re a small women-owned business?


Chippin prides itself on offering “high-quality pet nutrition powered by planet friendly proteins.” They also provide carbon neutral shipping and are certified Plastic Neutral through their partnership and support of rePurpose Global in their goal to remove as much nature-bound plastic waste that Chippin packaging creates!



Full Moon Natural Organics

Full Moon makes small-batched dog treats made with USDA-approved farm-raised meats and organic ingredients free from artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. Their dog treats are also corn, wheat, and soy free.


They also make a line of dog treats with cassava root to “keep them soft and chewy for pups who prefer a tender snack.” These are great treat options for young puppies, senior dogs, and every age in between. 


Conclusion

Now you can love on the planet just as much as you love on your pup with these eco-friendly, sustainably sourced, and organic dog treats. Every purchasing decision you make can either reduce or increase your dog’s carbon pawprint. 


We don’t know about you, but we always vote for reducing our own (and our pup’s) impact whenever and wherever possible! 


Lastly, by purchasing dog treats made from organic ingredients, packaged in recycled materials, or from local, women-owned businesses, you are supporting what you want to see more of in he world.


We hope you enjoy investing in dog treat brands that put pups and planet over profit. 

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