The human's best friend may not be the environment's worst enemy, but causes more harm than many think, shows a study from New Curtin University in Australia.
For example, even leashed dogs disrupt wildlife in nature.
"Apart from hunting wild animals, dogs leave behind scents, urine, and feces that can disturb the animals long after the dogs have left the area," says Professor Bill Bateman, who led the study, in a press release.
He points to American studies that have shown that deer, foxes, and lynxes are less active or completely avoid areas where dogs are regularly walked, even when the dogs are not there.
Pollutes Water
But it's not just wild animals that are affected. Dogs' feces contribute to water pollution and have consequences for plant life. Treatments against various parasites can lead to chemicals being released into the water.
Furthermore, dog food accounts for a significant carbon footprint. A 10-kilo dog, consuming approximately 500 calories per day, causes carbon emissions of 828 kilos of CO2 equivalents per year if it eats wet food, according to a university study from São Paulo, Brazil, 2022. Dry food, however, reduces the carbon footprint significantly, to 6.5 kilos.
But it's not easy to make a change. According to the study, only 12-16 percent of dog owners are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly dog food. Many are also completely unaware of the climate impact of their pets.
Cannot Ignore
Bill Bateman does not want to downplay the importance of dogs for humans, but wants more people to open their eyes to the problems. He calls for better cooperation between dog owners, environmental groups, and decision-makers to find a balance between pet ownership and environmental consideration.
"The large number of companion dogs in the world, combined with uninformed or careless behavior by some owners, drives environmental problems that we can no longer ignore."
Corrected: In an earlier corrected version, incorrect climate emissions were stated for dry and wet food. Wet food has a larger carbon footprint.
How dog and cat food affects the environment is relatively unexplored, but according to an American study from 2017, dogs and cats accounted for approximately 30 percent of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the USA. If this were a country, it would rank fifth in global meat consumption, after Russia, Brazil, the USA, and China.
A Chinese study suggests that the ecological footprint – or "paw print" – from all cats and dogs in China corresponds to the footprint of between 70 and 245 million Chinese people.
