It is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. We hope you are inspired to take better care of our one and only Planet Earth. Here are a few ways you can help:

* Recycle whenever possible.
* Never ever litter! If you smoke please do not throw your cigarette out the car window!
* Bring your own shopping bags to the store.
* Walk or bike whenever possible instead of driving.
* Use biodegradable cleaning products.
* Support local farmers and produce stands.
* Buy organic whenever possible.
* Plant a tree and/or a garden.
* Turn off all TV, radios and lights when possible.

Earth Day is around the corner. How can you and your dogs help the environment? Biodegradable poop bags!

“Picking up after your pet is part of being a responsible pet owner. In many communities, it’s also the law. We are constantly amazed when pet owners put 100% biodegradable dog waste into plastic bags that can take over 100 years to decompose. Now owners have a logical solution.”

There are several eco-friendly poop bags now on the market. Save fossil fuel and burn calories by walking your dog to your local pet supply store for a box!

Aromatherapy to the Rescue

April showers bring May flowers with fleas, ticks and other bugs that attack our pets.

Ticks carry the dreaded Lyme disease as well as yellow-spotted fever disease and others. Fleas are annoying to both humans and animals as well as dangerous.

Many people have asked me about recommendations for natural pest repellents for their dogs. There are a few essential oils that can help combat ticks and fleas, however there is no guarantee that these aromatherapy mixtures will completely protect your dog. Always err on the side of caution when bringing your dog into an area that is known to have ticks.

Please note that certain aromatherapy oils are toxic for cats. The following essential oils are for human or dog use only.

Here are a few essential oils to make your own Pest Away Repellent.

* Geranium oil is said to be one of the best oils to repel ticks and fleas. It can also be used as a hair and skin conditioner.
* Lavender oil is soothing, calming and repels most bugs, ticks and even scorpions.
* Lemongrass repels ticks, fleas and mosquitos.
* Sage and thyme are also used with other oils to repel ticks.

To make your own essential oil repellent, take about 4 drops of one or more of the above oils mixed into 8 ounces of pure water in a dark glass spray bottle.

You can use this mixture on your dog, the dog’s bedding and even yourself! Please be careful not to spray near eyes or any orifices.

Too busy to make your own bug repellent? Visit our friends at Bella’s Oils to find natural sprays, shampoos and other green products for you and your pets.

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.” Dr Seuss from The Lorax

Who will speak for the 500 acres of forest and wildlife bulldozed over to make room for a Super Walmart and a Lowes on Highland Ave in Salem MA? Can we stop Mayor Driscoll and her cronies from demolishing the woods of Salem so that the city can get a tax rebate?

Earth Day is on April 22. Please help save a small portion of it by signing this petition.
www.change.org/petitions/view/save_woods_of_salem

“The public lands of recreation and wildlife of the woods of Salem is on the turn of endangerment. A residential development and a new Lowes/ Expanding Super Walmart/ Expanding Meineke is slating to clear the woods, blast hills made by glaciers and end bike trails in the area north of Highland Ave, Salem Ma. Situated east of Lynn, Spring Pond to Marlborough Road, Salem. Lowes will be situated near an existing Walmart, on the same street as One Way Lumber, Home Depot, and Target where these types of stores already exist. This new development effects nearby residents of three cities which meet at these borders. Bicyclists, Nature Hikers, nearby residents and kids from the camps will no longer be able to enjoy the woods: from Camp Lions, Camp Fire and the Boys and Girls Camp. We’ve spotted deer, vultures, bats, fox… heard the sounds of coyote, woodpeckers, owls, different types of little birds, vernal pools, waterfalls and see many little animals roam these woods. City woods also provide a healthy supply of oxygen to breath from, circulating clean air into congested polluted city grids. We will not have many public green lands left surrounding congested cities for cleaner air and relaxation.

For centuries cities have been fighting to reclaim their waterfronts from old industry. Today we have to send a message out to the City of Salem, that the wetlands and properties near Spring Pond need to be saved. Please encourage law makers to enforce the PUBLIC LANDS PRESERVATION ACT and MASSACHUSETTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT of Massachusetts. ”

Please sign the petition and spread the word!

www.change.org/petitions/view/save_woods_of_salem

The scoop on poop!

More than 4 million tons of dog poop is collected each year. Dog waste is thought to be third or fourth on the list of contributors to bacteria in contaminated waters. Yuck! (One more reason for you or your pets not to drink tap water.)

What can you do help? First, always pick up after your dog. But what do you put it in? Most people like to use the plastic bags that come from grocery stores.

Unfortunately these bags are not biodegradable, becoming something that our great grandchildren will still be finding. It would be better to bring your own canvas totes to the grocery store and skip using their plastic bags at all. Many stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes now sell reusable grocery totes for a mere dollar.

Back to the problem of where to put your dog poop. I never thought I would be suggesting this as a blog post, but there is a solution: 100% biodegradable dog poop bags are now available. There are several brands to chose from. Most pet stores carry them now.

For more information on dog poop bags, cat box liners and other environmental friendly pet products check out the Poop Bag website.

www.poopbags.com