We believe it is important to think very carefully before deciding to introduce a new member to your family. Research and thought needs to be thorough and lead to sound decisions regarding the type of pet that will suit your lifestyle (pet selection insights)
As a pet owner or prospective pet owner we encourage you to realise you are responsible for giving your pet an AMAZING QUALITY OF LIFE.
Before deciding what pet to get it imperative to gain awareness as to the impacts have on the environment.
Why do we have pets?
Pets are great for our health. They connect us to nature and are great companions. Dogs encourage us to walk, and being out in nature has been demonstrated to be good for our health. A cat on your lap drops your heart rate because it's purr is meditative and sends good vibrations through your body (well that may not be totally scientific, but delegates of the American Stroke Associations agree it does something good for our stress levels). The same delegates also say owning a dog could be stressful so best to know how to keep them healthywith minimal fuss.
Your pets eco paw-print
The concept of an ecological paw-print is based on the human model proposed by Professor William Rees whereby human's ecological footprint was used as a quantitative tool in the assessment of human impact on the environment.
While quantitative analysis is complicated and involves numbers and statistics the first step is to be aware of it. Awareness of what impact your pet has on the environment is the first step in implementing ways to reduce it (remember the purpose of this website is too improve the health of your pets through innovative strategies that benefit the greater ecosystem).
There is a great book called 'Time To Eat The Dog?' by Brenda and Robert Vale, that explores the sustainability of pet ownership. We learnt a great deal from this resource (in all aspects of modern living).
Pets are a privilege. It is essential to realise that our pets are contributing to modern living and thus the impact we are having on the planet.
One important and potentially shocking perspective is that if you were to, say, have a Labrador Retriever and lived in London there is every chance that 'Bob' demanded more natural capital than two human citizens in the countryside, and most certainly a family of 4 in Bangladesh. Check out these statistics
I recommend reading this interesting article about some aspects of why we all need to be more aware of the ethics associated with owning pets (also it will introduce you to some concepts discussed on animal nutrition). It reveals a nice introduction to the concept of ecological paw print.
Veterinary intervention
Expectations regarding your pet's life and how much intervention you want is a personal and philosophical decision. This is often overlooked and something I encourage all pet owners to explore. Concepts like euthanasia and when to stop veterinary intervention are difficult and worth contemplation and family discussion. We are here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us for guidance or information about veterinary intervention ethics.