by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Go Green with your pet!

Celebrating Earth Day, April 22, and going green is something you can make a choice to do all year long with your pets.  The natural pet product category in the pet industry has grown tremendously in the last decade and now many pet product manufacturers are offering: earth friendly; sustainable; biodegradeable; products that are locally sourced; and some are even using packaging that breakdowns naturally or are made from recycleable materials.  So there is really no reason you can make your pet a planet embassordor too.   These days pet parents can make the choice to go green with their pets simply by choosing products that are often healthier for their pets and better for the environment.

Pet Food:

• Look for pet foods and treats with the official organic seal that are made in the USA, with locally sourced ingredients.  If it says, manufactured in the USA – some of the ingredients may not be from the USA.  Not sure? Contact the company and ask them.  Using locally sourced, organic and high quality ingredients help keep our farms sustainable!
• Recycle any of your pet food packaging properly.  Dog and cat food cans and tins, plastic, and food bags can all be put in your proper recycling bins.

Walking:

• Many people don’t often think to take their dog for a walk to do their errands.  Now, not everyone can do this – depending where you live, but if you live in a walkable distance, (a mile or 2) from your local down town, take your dog with you for a walk.  Have to go to the bank? Oddly enough most banks are pet friendly and more than likely will welcome your four legged, well behaved and leashed friend with you inside! (Your pup may even get a treat while there.  My Max was known around town at all our local errand stops – he got a lot of treats at the bank!)  This is going to help you and your dog get exercise, cut down on your car emissions and spending on gas.
• While on that walk, be sure to have poop bags with you.  There are many poop bag companies out there but you want to be sure to bring bags with you that are biodegradeable.   Personally I like EarthRated’s poop bags – the dispenser has a easy clip to attached to your dogs leash handle.
• Walking your dog in the park? For a hike?  Seek out plant based flea and tick spray or preventatives specifically for dogs and cats.  There are many great green, all natural products that help deter mosquitos, ticks and fleas.  They don’t harm the enviornment and they work – I have tried a few different brands over the years and they all worked great.

Bath time!

• Use pet shampoo and conditioners that use all natural ingredients and essential oils.  A great product that has the Green America Seal is Jorge Bendersky’s new line at M. Boutique. http://www.mboutiqueintl.com/31-pets-by-jorge

• If your bring your dog or cat to get professionally groomed ask them about what products that they use: are they earth friendly, natural and safe for your pet’s coat.

Don’t forget your cats!

Kitty litter is a needed product if you own a cat.  But have you ever thought about if your clumping clay cat litter breaksdown while in the landfill? A lot of clumpling clays litters do not breakdown.  There are a lot of earth friendly kitty litters these days to choose from so take your time and do your research! A great all natural product that uses wood and papers is Okocat by Healthy Pets.

Okocat is 100% natural – made completely from wood or paper, it is completely biodegradable and it is free of clay or silica and free of any smell-masking chemicals that your kitty tracks all over your home. It is also 99% dust-free so great for any allergy sufferer (human or pet!). The natural antimicrobial effect of coniferous wood kills 99.9% of bacteria and fights bacterial growth for weeks, keeping your home cleaner and healthier. You don’t really ever have to “empty” the litter box, because due to okocat’s amazing absorption, this litter lasts for weeks…just scoop out clumped waste daily. The litter the remains stays clean, dry and odor free.

Toys:

• Many companies are now starting to make pet toys from organic materials that are free from harsh dyes and chemicals (that they could ingest while chewing or playing with toys).
• Organic catnip.  That’s right, while your cat is bouncing off the walls enjoying their catnip – you can feel even better about it knowing it’s organic. 😉

Easy Green Pet Tips for everyday:

• Carpool with your dogs to the park – given the dogs get along (save on gas, emissions).
• Wash old blankets, towels, comforters and donate to your local animal shelter.  In Home Pet Services, Inc., has a special month long MayDay for Mutts campaign where they collect gently used pet products and donate them to a local animal rescue group.  They collect upwards of $3,000 worth of products every May that donated!  This is something you could do within your own home or business.
• Adopt a pet from your local animal shelter – a way to help a pet who has been recycled.
• Seek out holistic veterinary care for your pet.

Check out our segment recently on News 12 talking about this very topic, click to watch:

It’s easy being green with your pets!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Are you ever out walking your dog and you see another person walking their dog, the dog stops to poop and after the dog is done the owner keeps on walking leaving the stinky, disgusting pile of poop there?  Unphased and obviously not caring about disease, someone stepping in it, other dogs potentially squishing it between their paw pads, etc. Nasty right?  I agree.  Saw that the other day and the guy even had a poop bag dispenser on his leash.  He did see his dog poop and it was right on the trail.

It’s not pretty.  A lot of people get very upset – when they see this occur, when they go for a walk and there is dog s*** everywhere.  Some put signs up to ‘curb your dog’ others put signs up saying it’s the law, (it is in case you didn’t know), to pick up after your dog – and it doesn’t take much effort.

But what’s worse than that?  What’s worse than dog poop is the INSANE amount of garbage ALL OVER Long Island.  Yea people should pick up there dog’s poop, use biodegrable bags to do so and dispose of properly.  But frankly, I am not as worried about a few piles of poop – I don’t like it – but, I am seriously worried about our environment, here on Long Island.  Driving around, walking through the woods – there is garbage strewn everywhere.

The amount of garbarge in this water is absolutely disgusting. This stream eventually feeds out into the Great South Bay. Taken on the trails through Southards Pond, North Babylon, NY.

I just don’t get it. What the F#$% is going on?

When I was a kid growing on LI, you never saw garbarge in the way it is on the sides of roads, in our streams and ponds, on our beaches, in the trees – have you driven down a road anytime lately and seen tons of plastic bags stuck in tree branches?  Or plastic bags being blown through a parking lot, down the beach right into the ocean?  Are you paying attention, or don’t even notice since it sadly seems to be our new normal?  Do you even care?

When I was a kid, we would go out on our boat in the Great South Bay and go fishing or just cruise around, anchor at Democrat Point, dock at Cedar Beach and enjoy the beauty and nature we are so incredibly lucky to be around.  When we would wash the boat, my dad was very concious of using ‘green’ biodegradable plant based cleaning products.  I remember asking him about it and he said, “So it doesn’t pollute the water and if it goes on the ground it is not harmful.”  People this was back in the 80’s and before the word ‘green’ was used when referring to the enviornment.

We would be out fishing and if there was any garbage in the water we would get the fish net and scoop it up to dispose of it properly.  And we never left anything behind from our outings – all garbage was brought back with us and disposed of properely.  My dad was a bit of a clean and neat freak, and it was a good thing.  If my dad were still alive I think he would be so disgusted with how our island looks now.

I remember the only time your really saw garbarge all over the place was when we would drive through Queens heading towards New York City (and of course in the city).  Now when I have to drive through Queens, even just on the LIE – you don’t see garbage on the side of the road – not like you do on any road on LI.

Just the other day I saw people fishing in Southards Pond in Babylon and while they are fishing just 20 feet across the way, there was a ton of garbarge on the shore and in the water – and they were fishing?  Um, are you gonna eat that fish?

Directly across from where people were fishing. Southards pond, Babylon Village, NY. There is a LOT of garbage in this picture you may not be able to see all of it.

And what are the chances that as I was walking through Southards Pond just this past weekend, to take pictures, I saw a young couple walking through with fishing waders on, carrying a net filled with garbage.  I stopped and asked them, “Are you guys picking garbage out of the water?” Suzanne Burkhardt of West Islip, said, “Yes we are – there is so much garbage everywhere it’s just awful.”  I agreed, and couldn’t believe these two young people were literally in the mucky water cleaning out garbage.  “We were just in Florida and when we got back that was the first thing we noticed, the amount of garbarge everywhere,” said Scott Meistrich of West Islip, NY.  I thanked them for picking it up, and said I was glad I was not the only one who also notices this (and that I am not crazy!).  Why are our town, village and state officials not sending crews on a regular basis to clean this mess – of course is what I was thinking.

Suzanne Burkhardt and Scott Meistrich of West Islip - making a difference.

How do we change this culture here on Long Island to make people stop, take notice and not pollute?

Along the service Road in Bay Shore, NY - all along Sunrise Highway.

Some people will say it’s the amount of trucks on the road, (big rigs and such, garbage flying off of them when they are blazing down the highways), ok maybe – but they can’t take all the blame.

Some will say – we are a throw away society – Ok so that makes it ok?  Or the amount of people here now compared to 3o years ago.

Some might say, let’s pass another law – who will enforce it?  The garbage police? (Pollution cameras anyone?)

Think about the toxic chemicals that were dumped in Islip, Newsday and News 12 have done a great job reporting on that and repeatedly so.   I wish there was as much attention paid to cleaning up our entire island.

Taken in Cold Spring Harbor, NY. Notice the geese swimming by in the background? 🙁

It’s heartbreaking.  Last year I went on a bunch of business trips, Florida, Chicago, Atlanta and a few other places – and every time I landed and took a shuttle to my hotel – I noticed how clean and free from garbarge those areas were, come back to NY and garbarge garbarge everywhere.  It truly pisses me off!

Taken in Bridgehampton, across from Bridgehampton Commons. (Even the Hamptons are not immune to this).

So what can we do.  If you are reading up to this point – you care, you want to see our beautiful island cleaned up – and beyond the spring cleaning. (You will see come clean up done on the highways, but it is not ever enough). And as the grass grows in, trees and bushes have leaves on them, you won’t see the garbage as much – but it is still there.

So what can you do?

• Write to your County Supervisor (Nassau County, Suffolk County), local town supervisor and village mayor – your legislators, the governor, etc.

• Organize a clean up within your own community – some communities already do this – find out how you can get involved.

• This one is so simple, use re-usable tote bags whenever you go shopping.  (You know you have them!  Put them on your front seat of your car so you don’t forget).  If you’re in a store and buying a few small things and forgot your bag – tell the cashier, “I don’t need a bag.”  Simple as that.  In the Village of Southampton – plastic shopping bags are banned – have been for about 4+ years now, and in the Town of Southampton, on April 22, Earth Day, single use plastic bags will be illegal for retailers to give out.  The same law will take place in the  Town of East Hampton the same law will take affect on September 15, 2015.  So that means the entire South Fork of Long Island retailers will no longer be legally able to give out plastic bags.  Amen!  In San Francisco they recently banned plastic bags completely from the city. (Awesome!)
  
• Recycle everything you can.  A lot of people just throw things in the regular garbage that can be put into a recycle bin – familiarize yourself with what should go where.

• See garbarge in your own neighborhood? Clean it up.

• Are you a teacher? Is this a topic you cover with your students?

• If you see something, say something! Take photo’s of the garbage, (on public land), and document where and when you took them, send them to your local government.

I don’t have kids but I think about my niece and nephews and when they have kids and what just our island will look like in 50 years – if we don’t do something NOW. I think about our ground water, our oceans our enviornment and what all this awful pollution is doing to us, right now.  I think about our beautiful wildlife here and how the garbage destroys their environments, how they get literally caught up in it and even die from it.  I think about how it affects our pets, just like it affects us.  (How many times has your dog picked up some kind of garbage and eaten it?)

Think about this in our water ways - are you thinking about our ground water now???

Have you thought about it?  I hope you are now. Take a look around next time you are out walking your dog, riding your bike and while driving to the dog park, (but please be careful when driving!), and see if you notice the blarring amount of pollution starring you back in the face.

Solar panels are popping up everywhere in roofs, it’s really great.  People drive Hybrid cars, awesome.  Some of our towns provide recycling bins, excellent.  Yet pollution is all around us.

So Long Islander’s I would love to hear what your ideas are or how you are making a change.  Post a comment below! Tell us what you can do!  If you are proud Long Islander, step up and help clean up – lets bring this beautiful island back!  Maybe your pet can become a Mascot for your clean up campaign? 🙂

And to all those people that DO pick up their dogs poop and discard it properly – thank you!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Recently we visited Canine Companions for Independence’s Northeast regional facility, right here on Long Island!

Watch our video to learn more about this incredible, national, organization – and of course their beautiful dogs!

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

This week is National Poison Awareness Week, and of course that awareness very much includes our pets.  Many every household items and human food can be toxic to our pets, and you should be aware what to avoid giving your pet and what your pets could get into.  Just like you would with your human kids, you need to pet proof your house so you adorable new puppy or newly adopted shelter pet cannot get into these items.  You’ll be amazed how high a dog or cat can jump up onto things or dogs that like to counter surf.  Get your kids involved to so they know what NOT to give your pets.

For Dogs:

Chocolate
Xylitol – Sweetener often found in gum
Grapes and Raisins
Antidepresent Medication
Caffenine
Alcohol
Avocado
Macadamia Nuts
Onions, Chives, Garlic – can cause gastrointestinal problems and possibly red-cell damage.
Tylenol, Ibuprofen, NASIDS – goes without saying never give your pet ANY drugs without consulting with your veterinarian FIRST!
Mouse and Rat Poison
Cleaning Products
Antifreeze for your car
Yeast Dough
There are many additional items that can be poisonous to your dog, you can click here to see a comprehensive list.

For Cats:

Dog Flea & Tick Medication – if your dog is given a topical treatment, make sure your cat is not then grooming your dog!

The list above also applies to cats, but cats who also like to chew on and eat houseplants click here for a great comprehensive list from WebMD.

There are excellent resources to call if you need to speak with someone about whether you think your pet may have ingested something that could be poisonous or not.  The Pet Poison Helpline is one, and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center – be aware that there is a cost for both services, the Pet Poison Helpline is a $49 per icident fee and the ASPCA there is a $65 consultation fee that may be applied to your credit card, according to their website.  Either way, in my opinion a very small price to pay to help save your pets life.

You can download and print these and hang them on your refrigerator, near your phone and also program the numbers in your cell phone in case you are not home for quick access in case of an emergency

Emergency Vets open 24 Hours on Long Island are:

Atlantic Coast Veterinary Specialists
3250 Veterans Highway
Bohemia, NY 11716
(631) 285-7780

Animal Emergency Service
6230 Jericho Tpke
Commack, NY 11725
(631) 462-6044

New York Veterinary Specialty Center
2233 Broadhollow Rd.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
(631) 249-2899

Animal Emergency Service P.C.
280 Middle Country Road
Selden, NY 11784
(631) 698-2225

Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island
75 Sunrise Highway
West Islip, NY 11795
(631) 587 – 0800

Long Island Veterinary Specialists
163 S. Service Rd
Plainview, NY
(516) 501-1700

Nassau Animal Emergency Group
740 Old Country Rd.
Westbury, NY
(516) 333-6262

The Center for Specialized Veterinary Care
609-5 Cantiague Rock Rd.
Westbury, NY 11590
(516) 420-0000

Riverhead Emergency Vet – Pet – ER
67 Commerce Drive
Riverhead, NY 11901
(631) 369-4513

West Hills Animal Hospital Emergency Center
800 W. Jericho Turnpike
Huntington, NY 11743
631-351-6116

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com – Global 2015 Top Picks!

Every year Global Pet Expo gets bigger and better – this year was no exception!  The 3-day pet industry trade show, held in Orlando March 4 – March 6, for manufacturers and retailers was the largest yet, so large in fact they had offered an indoor trolley to get you from one end to the other!  I kid you not!  This pet pro hoofed it the entire time, but it was nice to know that if I needed to – it was there.  And believe me after 3-days of walking/running around 311,300 square feet of trade show floor – that’s equilivant to 16-football fields or four miles, my dogs were barking!

So how to find new, interesting, innovative pet products amoung the 1051 booths at the trade show can be a big challenge – that is what I look for.  In the sea of the 60.5 billion (slated for this year), industry of similar products, I personally like to see what jumps out at me.  Not to say there weren’t amazing products throughout the show, there were and I saw and spoke to a lot of the manufacturers about their products.  It’s truly an incredible industry we are in, but you can get a bit overwhelmed at such a massive show.  I will say that the American Pet Products Association and the Pet Industry Distributors Association who host the show did an outstanding job once again.  I have been to many trade shows in different industries in my lifetime and a big hats off to both them.  (And also to the Impetus Agency for doing an awesome job in the press room and helping us with any questions we had – a very gracious staff).

Here are some items that stood out to me, and more on our facebook page too!

My Dog Nose It is an all natural sun protection for your dog’s nose.  Of course the first question I asked was how does it stay on if your dog licks their nose?  It does dry quickly and since it is all natural you can re-apply it.  Both of my dogs had sun spots on their noses as they got older – this would have been a great product for them since they did spend a lot time playing at the beach on long walks, etc. I really liked the feel of the product, not heavy or overly smelly – I mean you are putting it on their nose.

This was a brand new product that seemed like it could be a lot of fun for you and your kids to build your own dog house.  MyPego has an insteresting concept and you can design the way you want the house to look and pick different sizes.  The house can literally grow with your pet!  In my opinion they would probably be best for medium and small dogs – I can’t see a mastiff in one of these.  Innovative and fun concept for dog houses – check out their website to learn more about this new product.

I like this product a lot, especially if you have allergies.  Think about it you have a dog bed, and maybe you wash the cover of it, but what about the inside bed?  My dog Max’s inside was cedar chips and polyfil – how could I wash that? I couldn’t – wish this product was available then.  AllerEase® is a zippered dog bed protector helps keep the allergens (and fleas and ticks) out of the inside of your dogs bed, think about it dander and pet hair can go right through the bed cover to the inside – this will help keep out that pesky dander and hairs and it is also washable!  AllerEase® provides a simple and affordable solution for the entire family, find out more on their website.

Speaking of beds – here is a family owned and operated busines for over 80 years in which they primarily made blankets and products for babies and kids.  After bringing home many human baby blankets for their dogs, they launched into the pet industry.  Beautiful quality bedding, blankets and many more pet products.  You have to check out Tall Tails website – you will definitely find something you like for your pet that fits perfectly with your home too.

Auburn Leather Crafters have been around for quite some time, but these huge collars perfect for your large and extra large breed of dogs were new this year.  The quality and American craftmanship of their products shines through.  A big fan of this company and their leather products for dogs.  This picture doesn’t do the collars justice, not just beautiful, but functional and perfect for your Mastiff or bully breeds.

The Green Pet Shop have fantastic products that are well green and eco-friendly like this cooling mat that becomes cool on contact when your pet lays on it.  It doesn’t need any special batteries or to be put in the freezer – it has a non-toxic gel that works immediately on contact.  They now also have a whole line of warming products made from bamboo, and many other biodegradeable products as well.  You have to check out their website!

Do you like kale?  I know I like kale in a smoothie, in a salad and love making home made kale chips – so good for you too.  Did you know your dog likes it too?  New to Global this year is a pet treat you can feel good about giving your pup too, Dogs Love Kale.  Dogs are omnivores after all – and there are different flavors for you to choose from. Their ingredients are sourced in the USA and also made in the USA, love that!  Congrats to Paula and Dawn of DLK who are Long Island natives for being at their first Global!

For many more products and pictures from Global Pet Expo – head to the facebook page for American Pet Professionals!  We couldn’t fit all our fun finds in one article!
CLICK HERE!