Pets For The Environment

This post comes to us from a new friend Eddie. For more of his work, visit Pets for the Environment.

About Eddie & Pets for the Environment

ABOUT EDDIE

I'm a dog on a mission.
When nonstick chemicals from a frying pan killed my buddy Feathers, and my feline friend Cleo and I found out that we're full of chemicals too, I was barking mad. Did you know that the humans' government doesn't make companies test chemicals for safety before they start using them in our toys, furniture, or even our food? And where do you think all those flame retardants, mercury, and perfluorochemicals end up? In us! And I know because I was tested.

The chemicals in me are the same kinds of chemicals in people, and scientists think that other cats and dogs—and horses and birds and bunnies and snakes—around the country are full of them, too.

That's why I started Pets for the Environment. The humans have made a mess, and they aren't doing anything about it. I need your help educating our humans and getting their government to pass toxic chemical reform legislation. They'll never listen to just one pet, but all of us barking and meowing and cawing and squeaking together can make a lot of noise. Join Pets for the Environment and help me make a difference!
Want to know more?

Read my blog
Join Pets for the Environment
Check out the science
Learn what you can do to protect yourself and your family

Let's say, just for the sake of example, that you were a dog. Or a cat, if you prefer (although I can't imagine why you would). You'd spend your days lazing about, taking naps, playing outside, and eating treats. Humans would pat your head and tell you how cute you looked.

Sounds like a pretty neat life, right? Lighthearted, carefree, simple. . . I bet you're a little jealous.
Well, I thought it was pretty neat too, until I found out that pets are full of toxic chemicals. And that really burns my brisket, because see, I am a dog.

EWG took samples from 20 dogs and 40 cats to test for toxic chemicals in our bodies, and I'm one of those dogs. They found 48 of the 70 chemicals they looked for, including PCBs, PBDEs, phthalates, and heavy metals, and lots of other stuff. In fact, we were more polluted with 43 of the chemicals they found than most humans are! Scientists think that other cats and dogs (and birds and lizards and fish and rabbits) have the same chemicals in them. Humans call it body burden. I call it really lousy. It turns out we're all exposed to this stuff every day, in lots of different ways. There's pollution in the air and water and chemicals in the housedust, on the carpet and the couch, and probably even in our food. Humans created all these chemicals, and now they might be making us sick!

That's why we pets have decided to step in. We've formed our own organization, and we're calling on humans to clean up the mess they've made. It's time for the humans' government to pass chemical safety standards that will keep all of us, pets and people, safe and healthy.
In the meantime, we're finding tips for keeping pets healthy. So if there's an eco-pet in your household, send them on over to Pets for the Environment. We need all the paws we can get!