We talk about what constitutes healthy pet food choices, finding toys without lead or other hazards attached, and even decide to forgo toxic flea medicine  and choose alternatives for our pet’s health. We make it a point to know about the poisonous house plants, the dangers in the garage and under the sink, but all too often, after going through all that, we compromise on what may be one of the worst habits of American life: the love of the park-like lawn as interpreted by chemical companies.  It’s a point of pride for many, and a necessary evil for others who worry what the neighbors will think if dandelions or creeping ground cover appear.  Many even believe what they are told by the folks in the green and white lawn treatment trucks with the dog picture plastered on them, that their sprays are “pet safe.” Or that without chemicals, their lawns will look scary.

I found a sound presentation of the problem in the video below.  Now that we have found that regulations are not what we expected them to be, witness the 2007 deaths of thousands of cats and dogs due to melamine in pet food, you can bet that same inability to check ingredients also occurs in lawn care chemicals.  Many of which are often masked in the ubiquitous “inert ingredients” which contain toxics not required to be listed individually on labels.  How clever is that?

A path to a healthy green lawn is also proscribed, with alternatives outlined using minerals and nutrients and proper management.  It takes 17 minutes–that’s less time than it took us to memorize poisonous houseplants!

Read more about cats, dogs, and lawns.