Time To Eat The Dog?

According to a New Zealand study conducted by some environmentalists people, a medium-sized dog has twice the carbon footprint as a Toyota Land Cruiser.
They compare how much it takes to feed the dog against how much it takes to feed the truck.
After that last sentence we should probably just stop here.
But, we'll go on.
The study also targeted  the environmental evil of cats.

Through important scientific calculation, that takes 0.84 hectares to feed an average dog, and 0.15 for a cat. If our math is correct, that makes a dog worth about six cats, or about five Volkswagen Golfs.

The message here is what?
Don't feed dogs and cats?
Eat dogs and cats?

New Zealand-based authors Robert and Brenda Vale said their findings are based on the amount of land needed to grow food for pets ranging from budgerigars to cats and dogs.
Mr Vale, an architect who specialises in sustainable living, said: "There are no recipes in the book. We're not actually saying it is time to eat the dog.
"We're just saying that we need to think about and know the (ecological) impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted."
He explained that sustainability issues require us to make choices which are "as difficult as eating your dog".
Mr Vale added: "Once you see where cats and dogs fit in your overall balance of things, you might decide to have the cat but not also to have the two cars and the three bathrooms and be a meat-eater yourself."

Pet-food Industry Thrives in Weak Economy

Even with rising unemployment, credit-card debt and cautious spending,  pet owners love their pets and remain faithful to an industry that continues to grow.
The pet-food business is given life by customers who aren't afraid to spend money on food and necessities for their animals, even though are willing to cut spending on themselves.
For all of us who have pets, you have probably noticed price increases in nearly every pet-food category, yet it hasn't stopped consumers.
Perhaps Dogs and cats are getting fewer new toys or accessories and not as many visits to the groomer but
total sales of all pet products gone over $45 billion this year, a 5 percent increase, and retail sales of pet food are up 4.5 percent in 2009 at about $18 billion.

People Food that Can Kill Your Pets

It happens to a lot of dog and cat owners. You’re snacking away, and you can just feel it, those big sad eyes staring at you that say,  " Feed me. I’m so hungry, Really!"The temptation may be great to give in, but there are certain foods that can cause your pet great harm, even death.
So what’s one of the worst things you can feed your pet?
Most of us know about Chocolate.
Chocolate contains theobromine, an alkaloid from the cacao plant.  If eaten in larger quantities, it can kill your pet. Dark and unsweetened chocolates contain even higher quantities of theobromine, and can be especially lethal.
Candy in general is bad for pets, but the sugar free candy and gum can be downright deadly.
Sugar free candy can be “especially dangerous” for dogs because it contains xylitol.
While completely safe for humans, it can cause a dog’s blood sugar level to plummet, which can lead to seizures and even death.  Too much xylitol can also cause liver damage.
Just two sticks of sugar free gum can kill a 20-pound dog.
The dangers aren’t just limited to candies. Check out the other foods that can harm your pet:
Nuts – Walnuts and macadamia nuts can be particularly lethal.
Avocados – This fruit has a high fatty content and element in avacados called persin, which can cause tissue damage.
Onions – Onions can be toxic to pets, damaging red blood cells leading to anemia and breathing problems.
Grapes and raisins –  The problem with grapes and raisins is not fully understood.  The Web site PetEducation.com suggests it may have to do with the “fleshy” part of the grape.  Symptoms can include vomiting and lethargy with an end result of kidney damage.
Medicine – It’s not uncommon for pet owners to give their pets people medicine to ease an ache or pain.  But some drugs, especially acetaminophen and ibuprofen, can cause liver damage, ulcers, kidney failure and death.
Bones- In particular, this applies to chicken and pork bones.  Not only can they get stuck in your pet's throat, marrow inside the bones is not a good thing.  "The marrow inside the bone is very rich and can cause them to have inflammation of the pancreas and cause them to become quite ill.