Hartford Business Journal

Sustainable Living with Kaitie Chassé Taking green business ideas to everyday life 14 ConneCtiCut Green Guide • Summer 2014 www.CtGreenGuide.com Keep Your Pets' Diet Natural L eigh was a healthy, happy golden retriever when he entered Susan and Dr. Bob Goldstein's home in the early '70s. Although he was trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Leigh's intended path as a seeing eye dog never came to be. Instead, he was discharged from the program and lovingly wel- comed into the Goldstein's home. All was well with Leigh until he began showing signs of hip dysplasia, a medical condition that ultimately leads to crippling arthritis and, for most pets, premature death. Like any loving pet owners, Susan and Dr. Bob were determined to lessen Leigh's pain and irradiate his disease. The treatment stopped working, the side effects were worsening, and Leigh was deteriorating. What Susan and her husband decided to do next would change their lives forever. "I was working in New York City at a foundation researching alternative cancer therapies," said Susan. "That's when it hit me, if a nutrient-rich, all-natural, uncooked diet could cure people of cancer, why not animals too?" Susan and Dr. Bob made an im- mediate switch in Leigh's diet, trad- ing his doggie kibble for fresh, clean, nutrient-dense foods consisting of celery, carrots, apples, and parsley. It didn't take long for Leigh to respond to the new diet and slowly his ail- ments began to fade. In the end, Leigh lived to be 17 years old, and the Goldstein's made it their life's work to inform other pet parents of their discovery. "When you truly care about your animal, they can sense it," said Su- san. "When you take that next step to provide healthy, environmentally friendly pet care, they ... sense that." What Susan discovered through her experience with Leigh is that most mass-produced pet foods, treats, and supplies are made with nutrient- poor ingredients or harmful chemi- cals. Furthermore, this mass produc- tion of products is damaging our environment and incredibly costly. "Our goal here is first and fore- most the health and well-being of the animal," said Susan. "What you have to understand is that we are all connected here. When you put chemical-based tick and flea repel- lent on an animal, those chemicals trickle back into the earth." What Susan aims to do, through her mission as an organic, locally sourced pet product retailer, is to inform individuals of the dangers that may be associated with their current pet care methodology. Earth Animal's body, mind, spirit approach to pet care has a positive effect on the health of the animal, the environment, and the wallets of its pet parent customers. The bottom line is that branded bag of pet food you usually buy at (insert major pet food retailer here) may appear to be packed with nutri- ents but take a closer look. Quantity does not yield quality. The percent- age of protein in a bag of dog food won't tell you whether that protein is from a healthy, well fed, free-range chicken, or scraps from a dead, dying, or diseased animal. In the modern world of pet food production, protein is protein. Purchasing food and treats locally sourced from compassionate- Sustainable Living with Kaitie Chassé Taking green business ideas to everyday life The author's labradane, Jackson, explores Susan Goldstein's Earth Animal pet supply store in Westport. PhotoS | kaitie ChaSSé

• Cover