Greenies now attacking ‘Man’s Best Friend’

I read an article recently claiming dogs are an environmental threat.

That was about the silliest thing I ever heard of. How could man’s best friend be a threat to the planet? I sniffed.

It must be that little Greta Thunberg, I thought – the teen-age Scandinavian pest who’s the favorite of radical environmentalists – but decided to check it out, anyway.

Sure enough, there it was under CSIRO Publishing with the headline: “Bad dog? The environmental effects of owned dogs.”

The first paragraph read: “Dogs as owned pet animals are globally ubiquitous and numerous. While the impact of cats, both feral and owned, on biodiversity has been relatively well-studied, by contrast, the comparative effect of owned dogs has been poorly acknowledged.”

The next sentence got even goofier. It said: “As the commonest large carnivore in the world, the environmental impacts of owned dogs are extensive and multifarious: they are implicated in direct killing and disturbance of multiple species, particularly shore birds, but also their mere presence, even when leashed, can disturb birds and mammals, causing them to leave areas where dogs are exercised.”

That word “multifarious” shook me up. I had to look it up. It means lots of them of various types – almost like ubiquitous (everywhere). Then it got really ugly, adding: “Furthermore, scent traces and urine and faeces (they’re English, obviously, and can’t spell) left by dogs can continue to have this effect even when dogs are not present. Faeces and urine can transfer zoonoses to wildlife and, when accumulated, can pollute waterways and impact plant growth. Owned dogs that enter waterways contribute to toxic pollution through wash-off of chemical ectoparasite treatment applications.

“Finally, the sheer number of dogs contributes to global carbon emissions and land and fresh water use via the pet food industry. We argue that the environmental impact of owned dogs is far greater, more insidious, and more concerning than is generally recognised (the English again). Then they sort of caught themselves and admitted dogs are the most popular pets in the world. (And with good reason, I say. Who else is always happy to see you?) Then the article jumped all over cats, saying: “While both owned and feral cats are repeatedly (and rightly) implicated in the destruction of wildlife and the reduction of biodiversity globally, owned dogs are rarely perceived as problematic to biodiversity, despite the acknowledgement of feral dogs as threatening both to wildlife survival.”

I’ve always considered myself a dog man, not a cat man; well with one exception, “Big Kitty.”

Robert, our son, brought this kitten home from school one day, the “gift” from a friend.

We had no cats at thetime, so Big Kitty (she never got a real name) eventually became the oldest of a pride of three cats as two others were later sloughed off on us, one from a co-worker and another from a daughter who was moving out of state and conveniently forgot to come back for her cat.

Big Kitty attached herself to me (it was my job to feed her, of course), following me outdoors each time I went outside to do yard work or garden.

She’d follow me when I was walking but when I stopped to pull weeds or plant something, she’d plop down on her belly and start moving her head from side to side, pretending to be a guard cat, I figured.

She ruled the house and yard for 10 years until one day when I was feeding the dogs, only two of which are mine.

We had been “gifted” with five others from various relatives.

One day as I was feeding the menagerie, one of the visiting dogs leaped through the gate and caught Big Kitty, who was following at my heels, in a death grip.

The dog did not arrive with a collar so I had nothing to control him.

I’ll never forget the pained look in Big Kitty’s eyes as I flipped the dog on his back, thinking he’d turn loose. He didn’t and in retrospect I wonder if he didn’t think I was joining in his game.

But I digress; this is about the threat dogs are to the environment.

Anyway, I totally fail as a environmentalist, even though I appreciate the outdoors and wildlife.

Then I read another article stating that washing clothes too much also is an environmental “no-no.”

I’ve got both dogs and cats. That’s two strikes against me.

I start the washer every time I think something needs to be washed.

That’s a third strike. I’ve struck out of the environmental game. On top of those three strikes I feed a couple of horses, one of which also fits the “gift” definition.

Oh, No! I’ll never make the Crazy Green Hall of Fame.