Celebrate Green Blog

by A.J. Wanamaker

While you sleep on mattress made from sustainable materials, what about your best friend?

No, I don’t mean your roommate from college. I’m talking about your dog or the cat that allowed you to become its butler. For those who don’t let their pets on their bed, now your companion animals have the opportunity to rest in sustainable comfort too. If that doesn’t seem unique nowadays, what about completely biodegradable comfort? Now I grabbed your attention!

Corey was sent a sample pet bed by Dog Gone Smart (http://www.doggonesmart.com – whose website is 100% powered by wind energy) and she let her dog Ivy give it a test. You know how kind-hearted Corey is so, naturally, Ivy already had enough pet beds to make a mattress showroom jealous.

However, the Dog Gone Smart bed immediately became her favorite. Ivy made it clear she wanted to go green. Considering how sensitive a dog’s sense of smell is, she obviously knew the importance of an eco-friendly product, which is more than we can say for climate change deniers. If only dogs could vote. Sigh…

The company’s green line of beds are made from soft, 100% organic cotton/bamboo fabric and colored with natural vegetable dyes. These beds are filled with natural kapok, which dust mites don’t like, and come in a variety of sizes. The zippers are made from cornstarch and “other plant materials.” This annoys me because they can produce such sturdy items from corn starch, yet I still can’t make lump-free gravy with it.

The beds are high quality and are priced accordingly. However, keeping your best friend healthy is worth the investment, and you might end up saving vet bills from respiratory and allergy issues too.

In the interest of full disclosure, one of Ivy’s freshly clipped toenails pierced the fabric on the bed in one spot. I suspect that was Ivy’s subversive way of hanging onto the sample bed instead of returning it after the review. Anyone who’s ever tried to get their favorite slippers back from their dog knows exactly what I’m talking about.

I will be adding another furry family member to my clan this year and had already planned on getting an eco-friendly dog bed. I’m thrilled to have such a wonderful option with these beds. If only I could order the cute little Westies who model them on the company’s website too.

A.J. Wanamaker is a freelance writer, environmentalist, yogi, hiker, crafter, PR/Marketing consultant, kite flyer, bird watcher, vegetarian, consummate wisenheimer, and slave to her pets.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.