Eddie and Pets for the Environment

Pets for the Environment was formed in early 2008 when Eddie joined forces with the scientists at Environmental Working Group. The mission: To create a healthy environment for pets and people by demanding toxic chemical reform legislation in the U.S.

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. Click here to join Pets for the Environment and help me make a difference!

The Environmental Working Group is filled with eye-opening articles and handy listings to help you have a healthier, non-chemically based life.

1. 10 Everyday Pollution Solutions
2. Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce (Listing of 43 Fruits & Veggies) http://www.foodnews.org/
3. National Assessment of Tap Water Quality More than 140 contaminants with no enforceable safety limits found in the nation’s drinking water. Search our database for your water quality reports.
   http://www.ewg.org/sites/tapwater
4. Tuna Calculator: How Much is Safe? Calculate how much tuna you can eat before exceeding the FDA safety limits.
5. Skin Deep Safety Guide to Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Go read their article, High Levels of Toxic Industrial Chemicals Contaminate Cats And Dogs

In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group found that American pets are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns.

The results show that America’s pets are serving as involuntary sentinels of the widespread chemical contamination that scientists increasingly link to a growing array of health problems across a wide range of animals-wild, domesticated and human.

Check out Eddie’s Healthy Pet Tips below. And, click here to download a handy printable PDF.

• Choose pet food without the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, vary cats’ diets to limit their exposure to mercury in seafood, and choose organic or free-range ingredients rather than “by-products.”
• Use a reverse osmosis, faucet-mounted, or pitcher filter to remove contaminants before filling your pet’s water bowl.
• Replace older foam pet bedding, and replace or reupholster furniture with exposed or crumbling foam where flame retardants are found.
• Vacuum often with a HEPA-filter vacuum, and take off your shoes at the door to minimize your pets’ exposure to toxic chemicals in house dust.
• If you suspect your deck was made with arsenic-treated wood, treat it with a sealant every six months and don’t let pets play or sleep underneath it. Wash with mild soap and water, but never power wash!
• Don’t get optional stain-proof treatments on couches, carpets and car upholstery—they’re loaded with toxic perfluorochemicals.
• Avoid nonstick pans. An overheated nonstick pan can kill pet birds, and it gives off chemicals that may be bad for other pets and people too. Try cast iron instead.
• Care for your lawn without using insecticides, which may cause nervous system damage in pets that walk on the treated lawn, eat the grass, or breathe in the chemicals.
• Use kitty litter made of plant sources like wheat or recycled newspaper. Clay-based kitty litter is strip-mined, causing extreme environmental damage during extraction.
• Get biodegradable, compostable doo-bags for when you go on walks with your pooch—or just reuse bags like plastic newspaper wrappers.
• Not only are flea collars generally ineffective, they’re also a source of constant toxic exposure for your pet and family. Instead, vacuum often and thoroughly, bathe your pet regularly, and ask your vet or local pet store about safer flea treatments and repellents.
• Try a mild baby shampoo intended for human use instead of a pet product. Just like human products, pet grooming product manufacturers aren’t required to test their grooming products for safety—but unlike human products, they’re not even required to list ingredients on labels. Use EWG’s Skin Deep at cosmeticsdatabase.com to find one that’s right for your pet.
• Did you know that 63% of all households in the US have pets? Together, us pets can make a lot of noise—so spread the word! Sign up for Eddie’s email and action update list, tell your pet friends about Pets with an ecard.

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