We’ve decided to adopt a new puppy, and I’ve been boning up on caring for our doggie-to-be, including getting him the proper medical care, as well as leashes, beds, combs and other various products. Now I’m looking into feeding him. The problem is, I don’t want to buy just any readily available dog food. After having watched Food, Inc. several months ago, I’ve become very concerned with living a sustainable lifestyle. I don’t want to add to the agricultural, medical, economic and cultural problems of the country caused by the agribusiness industry. So we’ve been trying to spend our money at the Farmer’s Market as much as possible, plus buy organic and other more environmentally friendly items. It’s hard getting started, but we’re feeling more confident as time goes on.

Now I’ll need to determine how to factor a pet into our socially conscious lifestyle. I’ve never owned a dog before, so I am starting from scratch regardless of the environmental considerations. Although I guess that could either be a benefit or a curse–a benefit since I have no habits to break, a curse because I have no idea of where to start. I started by looking at some all natural dog food that I saw advertised. But as I researched, I ascertained that “all natural” can mean just about whatever the manufacturer chooses it to mean. It’s not genuinely regulated, and therefore can’t be trusted as a label. So now I’m looking for the most part at organic dog food.

There are quite a few options available, which surprised me a little. I’m very happy to find that dog owners think about their pets when thinking about eating healthful foods and taking care of the environment. I wonder if pet lovers are more likely to also be environmentally conscious? In any case, now I plan to narrow down the choices by researching the individual companies. I don’t want to start using something that’s technically organic, only to find that they mistreat test animals or commit other major offenses. My friend also mentioned today that lots of people are switching to grain free dog food, since dogs in the wild don’t really eat grains.

Much food for thought when it comes to choosing pet food these days. Though it’s taking a good amount of time to get all this research done, in the end I’ll feel better knowing my love for my dog is not hurting the environment or his health.