Travel can be just as much fun for your pets as it is for you and the rest of your family, and chances are you would prefer to have them with you when you go away, but is it possible to travel sustainably with your dog?
Absolutely! If you are passionate about sustainable travel, bringing your dog along does not have to mean that your ethics are compromised. Below are some top tips to help you travel sustainably even if you have your dog in tow.
Pack some sustainable essentials
If your dog is coming on holiday with you, then you will want to ensure that you have everything he needs and that it is all as sustainable as possible. For example, you are going to want to pack a reusable water bottle and foldable travel bowl so that you can ensure he has access to fresh water when you are out and about without having to resort to buying plastic bottles. Bringing dry dog food along for him to eat is also a good idea as in some places you can only find canned dog food, and as many dog food cans are lined with BPA this can be pretty bad for the environment.
Pack plenty of biodegradable poop bags
Being a responsible traveller means that you should do as little harm to the environments you are visiting as possible, which means you absolutely must pick up your dog’s mess whenever he needs to go. To keep this as sustainable as possible, you will need to find and use biodegradable bags where you can. If you are really out in the wilds, then a poop scoop can be useful as you can pick up the waste and bury it somewhere discreet, but you will need to check out that it is safe and legal for you to do so in the location you are visiting first.
Remember to carb on offset him/her
If you are travelling by plane one of the best ways to lower your flight’s impact on the planet is to pay for carbon offsetting, whereby enough trees are planted to make your flight carbon neutral overall. If you’re bringing your dog with you, then you should also pay to carbon offset your pooch’s flight too.
Book eco-friendly accommodation
When looking for good dog friendly hotels in Flagstaff or Bali or Sydney, it is not always possible to find decent eco-friendly accommodation, but you should always check because many places are pretty good at that kind of thing and will use paper instead of plastic and offer up veggie options for dinner and things like that.
If the place you are staying does not have a specifically eco-friendly ethos then you can do your bit by choosing veggie meals, using reusable bottles instead of buying bottled weather for you and your pet, and bringing your dog’s own bedding along with you so you can ensure that it is cleaned in an environmentally friendly way by you when you get back home.
Ensure your dog does not pass on a disease
If you are travelling outside of the country, then ensuring that your dog has all of the required vaccines, plus any optional ones is really important because if they do happen to be carrying anything, they could end up negatively impacting any native wildlife by passing on an illness that is not present in that location.
Respect the local wildlife
If your dog is not as well trained as he could be, keep him on his leash when you are out hiking or walking on the beach or in any location where he could end up chasing the native wildlife. Being sustainable means caring for the planet and everything on it, so if there is any chance your dog could do some harm to the local wildlife, and this includes trampling on native plants too, keep him safely next to you on his leash – he’ll still have a great time exploring brand new sights, sounds and smells.
Stay local
Of course, holidaying locally is the best way to lower your carbon footprint and that of your dogs, and doing so will mean that you do not have to worry so much about vaccinations, packing pet food and so on, and there are lots of great things to see on your doorstep too.
As you can see, it is perfectly possible to maintain your commitment to sustainable travel even if you decide to bring your dog along for the ride, so what are you waiting for?
Share this post!
What an important post! I’ll be passing this on to some of the dog owners in my life! Thank you <3