Say it ain't so, Sarah Palin! You've been telling us you are a champion of everyday citizens. However, I know you've left out the animals. It seems your record on animal cruelty is backwards and revolting. Americans abhor cruelty to animals and that makes you out of step with the mainstream.

The U.S. Humane Society's (HSUS) has one and only one criteria---where does a candidate for congress or president stand on animal protection policy. In other words this is an organization that cares about us, the animals. They based their information not on partisan politics and other social issues, but on treatment of the animals.

As a Doggone Green Crusader, I am exercised about this. You see if you, Governor Palin actually became second in command or president that would be a tragedy for animal issues and anything but a step forward. When our people vote they need to know your positions on animal welfare and conservation in Alaska.

As you might imagine the facts on Governor Palin have drawn huge reaction. Speaking as a pampered pooch, I think that is good, after all this is 2008 and it is way past time for things to change for us. These days it is about celebrating animals and meeting cruelty head-on. Neglect and abuse strikes not only cats, dogs and other companion animals, but also farm animals, horses, furbearers, animals in entertainment or research and wildlife.

Be aware Californians are voting on Proposition 2. This is about the treatment of animals raised for food. Prop 2 gives California voters (and others of us) an opportunity to think over some of today's most abusive factory farming practices.

"We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature." Rachel Carson, American Author and Marine Biologist

How cool is this, Olympian Michael Phelps kicking back and hanging out with Herman, his British Bull Dog. I sure dig it being a pampered pooch myself. You can see Herman here.

After several articles appeared on Herman and all the cash Michael stands to gain from endorsements, it seems folks got their tails out of joint over Herman. They said he is ugly. I say beauty is in the "eyes of the beholder." Personally, I have never seen an ugly dog but people; we might want to chat about that.

As you might expect, books, movie deals and dog-food makers are keen to grab hold of Michael and Herman. Now, I do not have cash to offer Herman but I think I have something better, joining me as a Doggone Green Crusader and saving the earth.

I want Herman to be on guard as regards a possible dog-food endorsement cause when "Big Herman" yaps, pets ‘n their people will pay attention. It is an attitude, if it's good enough for Herman, its good enough for me.

I'm a Chesapeake Bay retriever and bigger than Herman. I weigh 79 lbs.; British Bull Dogs tend to be 45 to 55 lbs. That means I consume more food daily. That's important when you consider quality because "we are what we eat." I always tell pets, "You can save hundreds of dollars on vet bills by spending a few extra bucks on high quality pet food and have a quality life? 

Use This Stuff for Bio-Fuels

As I said in Doggone Green, the pet food industry is dreadful. It's a place for slaughterhouse waste and by-products. It is no accident-recycled grease and fry oil is sprayed on pet food for taste. I say, use recycled grease for bio-fuel not in pet food.

Too many 2-leggeds expect us to not only eat the garbage they pay money for but also love it. Put your noggin' around this: if you begin with by-products (i.e. left-over animal parts after the meat is gone from the bones which could be anything rejected by the slaughterhouse and unfit for human consumption) how is it that you can make that "crap" flavorful, appealing and nutritious for dogs and cats? Not possible I say. If you don't start with first class ingredients, you sure aren't going to get a quality pet food. I say stick with human-grade ingredients, organic or free-range. If your pet parent won't eat it neither should you.

Cheap food is easy to find; grocery store isles, pet discount stores and even dollar stores. I say shop at your locally owned pet store because you are more likely to find a higher quality food. Don't assume canned food is any better than dry kibble.

There are no short cuts; become skilled at reading the labels. If pet food makers spent billions on the contents, dogs and cats would be a lot healthier and less obese. Instead, they squander it on packaging and advertising to make it sound healthy. Keep in mind we rely on you, our pet parents to decide what is best for us. We don't care how they wrap it or what they call it; we care that it is nutritious. You should too.

Dogs and cats thrive on high protein meals of meat and poultry. Think about it the way I do. If you knew the food you were eating was full of artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin), antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, by-products, dyes, flavorings and fillers, would you eat it? Learn to look for these items on the ingredient label. If you see them listed, buy a better food.

You need to know that by-products, digests and meals can be full of cancerous tissue cuts, plastic foam wrappings that may contain spoiled meat from stores, road kill, pieces of downer animals and grains considered unfit for our two-leggeds. I tell you this stuff is ugly.

My bud Eddie, with Pets for the Environment (located in Washington, DC) is on a mission for safer food and is "digging up" the facts. Read his pet food blog.

As for Herman, call me; we need to yap. Our times call for a country full of Doggone Green Crusaders. I need you and the planet needs you!

Tail Waggin' Love,

Cedar Dog

cedar@petsgonegreen.com

Politics is still stinkin' up the air. It's time we had a talk about animal politics. Oh, I know; I can hear some of you now, crabby and yawning. Hang tight, I'll make it short.

First off, I srutted my book and Doggone Green Cape (my cape is really something to woof about) at Denver's Green Frontier Fest. We were the Green Print Denver kick-off event for the Democratic National Convention. Doggone Green was selected to participate because we are actively waggin' our tail to help create a sustainable future. Not only was I busy signing up Doggone Green Crusaders in every state but the Rocky Mountain News selected Doggone Green as the top eco-hip item at the event. 

In my book I said, "I have a hard time getting my noggin' around why it is so difficult to get laws passed that keep animals safe. Elected representatives must forget about us when they go to the Capitol. This is very sad to me in light of how we serve humans day in and day out."

Mom sees it differently, reminding me not to take it so personally. She says lawmakers are supposed to know what is going on, except they run out of time and cannot keep up with it all. She said, it is about priorities. Exactly, my point I barked back, which is why we need to bring issues front and center; its time they wake up. I say to neglect our concerns is paw-litical suicide.

As I see it, we need to do a couple of things: Know our issues and build grassroots "power packs." Lawmakers need to recognize that we talk to other "packs" and together we support candidates. Julie Lewin, of the National Institute for Animal Advocacy, (NIFAA), says, "Right now powerful interest groups are beating us." Okay I want to know who are the powerful interest groups against the animals.

According to Lewin, very few of us know our lawmakers' votes on animal issues and we are the ones who care most about humane treatment and laws? Now, that doesn't square very well with me. Don't most Americans back humane treatment of animals?

As far as I am concerned this is where the rubber meets the road; our furry four-pads need to beat a path to lawmakers' doors. OK then, our job is education and pack action.

I'll fetch some guests who are familiar with what we need to know and when; national and local groups who do the paw-itical work for the animals. Read my recent interview. Finally, I will check out where the contenders for Grand Poobah stand on animal issues.

Tail Waggin' Love,

Cedar Dog

I have been yapping at Mom and I think she's over me so I thought I'd blog. Getting my doggie noggin around this idea of sustainability is a big job for a dog.

First off, some news from Doggone Green headquarters. My moms got me that puppy I said I wanted after I finished my book. Ernie is his name. He is the cutest little guy. Don't tell him, but he is good for me; keeping me young and in top form.

Here's the thing, I watched him the other day and his puppy steps remind me of the Doggone Green Actions  I bark about in my book. Ernie's paws are huge. After all, he is a chessie like me. He's a little awkward as his 4-paws get in his way. He doesn't mind, he just plods along.

Sustainability is a lot like Ernie taking one puppy step-at-a-time. It's a huge job but it is not rocket-science. Andrea Robinson, the top dog of "green" for the ‘big party" here Aug. 25-Aug. 28, (that would be the Democratic National Convention) puts it this way, "Sustainability isn't that hard to do. It's taking maybe one more millisecond of thought about where you put something or what you use."

Well, there you go---thought and action, something we'd like the two-leggeds to value so together we can help save the earth.

I particiapted in the Colorado EarthWorks Expo in June. It was a zero waste event with 3,000 people attending; the Democratic National Convention  expects 50,000 guests, the Republican National Convention plan on 45,000 attendees. Both claim their conventions will be the greenest ever. When Mom read that I barked out, "that wouldn't be hard." I am smart enough to know if they are making a big deal about it in 2008; they haven't done much before now. This is a good place to give tail wags to Xcel Energy for anteing up the "green" to power both events with wind.

I put my paws together and bark out loud for Andrea Robinson.  Her goal for the 5-day event is to recycle, reuse or compost at least 85 percent of all trash generated during the democrat's bash. That means only 15% is sent to the landfill. Now that makes my tail wag.

How does she plan to do that you ask? Robinson gathered 900 green volunteers; I call them the "green pack" sorting trash for the event. I would volunteer but doubt they would want me. Mom calls me garbage mouth when I get into things I am not supposed to. Some claim the DNC's Robinson is way over the edge. Not me, this woman is on a mission and is a Doggone Green Crusader. I want her on my team any day.

The Republicans meet in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Sept. 1-Sept. 4. Mom tells me the green efforts of each gathering are light years apart. You can make up your own mind.

For me, sustainable is about wellness and a better quality life for our people, the animals and the earth. The big point is that we don't use up all of the earth's natural resources in the process. When we reduce our use of toxic chemicals, reduce pollution and at the same time care for and save natural resources we make the earth a safer place now and for future generations.

I talk in Doggone Green that before buying anything consider the product's lifecycle and determine how long it will last. Can you dispose of it without throwing it in the trash? Is their a more friendly alternative you can choose instead? If we do use it, will it distress the earth?                                        

So what is Zero-Waste. The end of all garbage, as we know it and our humans focused on redesigning products for reuse. Reused items go back into nature or the marketplace. Now, that's sustainable.

One last thing, I wonder if anyone attending either of these events will be bringing their dog. If so, please commit to memory---dog poop is an eco-concern. You walk your dog, pick up the poop using a biodegradable or compostable doo-bag, then flush the poop, minus the bag. Believe me; you have the EPA's blessing!   Let's see, what do we do with the bag? Look for the nearnest recycle bin.

Tail Wagggin' Love,

Cedar Dog

Look for me on August 24^th in Denver's Green Frontier Festival.

www.cedar@petsgonegreen.com