My friend is a dog lover. Every time we chat he always brings up his dog. Apart from a dog lover, he is also a supporter of low carbon living. He is trying to go vegan, and gradually consuming less and less meat products in order to help reduce green house gas emissions. Recently, he was considering training his best company to be a vegan dog too.

Is it possible for dogs to go vegan? In America, there is an increasing amount of dog owners switching their dogs into "V-Dogs". There are different websites and blogs sharing experiences of raising a Vegan Dog. For example, the blog site - It's a Vegan Dog's life has everything you need to know about Vegan Dogs such as dog health and lifestyle information, vegan recipe, benefits of going vegan, and healthy tips for vegan dogs. The blog owner also welcomes other bloggers to share their unique V-dog stories online, which makes good references for other dog owners who may wish their doggies to go vegan as well.

One may ask: how does v-dog links with climate change?  According to a report from Metro Daily, a study conducted by the New Zealand Victoria University showed that the process in producing pet food was a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. The yearly carbon footprint of a medium-sized dog was two times the carbon dioxide emissions of a 4WD (four-wheel drive) being driven 10,000 kilometers a year. This carbon footprint can be reduced by switching to a vegan diet. Not only does our environment benefit, some dog owners found improvements in their dog’s dental health, skin quality, and digestive system too.

Many dog owners would worry that their dogs might not like the switch, or the adaptation would not be easy. According to the website – Dogs Can Eat Vegan too, a varied diet of well-cooked whole grains, potatoes and some vegetables “can ensure your dogs get enough protein, calcium, vitamin D and all other nutrients.” Indeed, many vegan dog owners admitted that the adjustment was way easier than they had expected. The key is to do it gradually, that way, your dog can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions too. Some dogs even didn’t show interest to meat anymore after going vegan!

On social networking sites like Facebook, there are Vegan dog groups for dog owners to share experiences and answer questions. If you don’t want your dogs to go vegan, there are also other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your dog. For example using stainless steel bowl instead of plastic bowl to contain dog food, or using the remaining water in the dog bowl to water your plant, and bring your own bag while shopping for dog food.  All these seemingly little steps are indeed a big step for the health of our planet earth!

The eco-footprints of the family pet each year

Source: ”Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living” by Brenda and Robert Vale