The Green Rocket

1.First of all, can you tell our readers a little bit about Paw Luxury, in terms of what the business does, how/why it got started, and what the vision behind it is?

Paw Luxury specializes in selling earth friendly products. We offer quality products that are stylish, durable, all natural, organic, holistic, sustainable, biodegradable, fair trade, and Made in the USA. Our motto is “healthy dog, healthy earth, and happier life”. We feature all of these eco-friendly in convenient easy to shop destination on our website at www.pawlux.com.

Evolving from the overwhelming love of our beautiful, loyal, carefree, lovable and cuddly boxer named Lola, Paw Luxury was born. As proud parents we wanted to give Lola the best nature had to offer but found it difficult to find eco-friendly products under one roof. So we went sniffing with Lola, searched high and low and dug a few holes along the way. Then we thought to ourselves why not create a one-stop online destination that caters to the need for healthy alternatives.

We wanted to remain true to the motto “healthy dog, healthy earth, happier life.” This idea, now a reality, was to sell products that both Lola and us have come to love; products inspired by nature with the everyday dog in mind. But we didn’t want to stop there, we wanted to strive to offer products sourced and manufactured primarily in the USA, while treading lightly and making a contribution to better the world and the people in it. Here at Paw Luxury the grass is always greener & dog owners can rest easy knowing that.

Our name, “Paw Luxury”, is inspired by the commonality that pets and humans in a sense both have paws that need love to. We define “luxury” as your dog living the good life; it’s all about wellness with some pampering thrown in. We believe you can fuse green living with the cachet and comforts of luxury living-for a healthier life now and for future generations.

We are first and foremost a down to earth company that cares about the earth and the dogs and people that inhabit it. Like our dog’s lovable, kind and warm spirit, Paw Luxury is always approachable and inviting. We measure everything we do against our goal to reflect warmth and a generosity of spirit in the products we sell, our actions and interactions.

We are mindful and approach our work with humility and purpose, authenticity and creativity. We offer products that are real & functional for the everyday dog about town – combining style with ease of use, accessibility, and meaningful intent with enduring quality. We educate through awareness and inspire social responsibility through our genuine concern for the world.

2. Can you share a little about your definition of “eco-living” and how it relates to dogs, or pets for that matter?

Eco-living is a “Green Lifestyle “with the well being of earth and its people in mind. Our philosophy is simple; it all starts with little puppy steps, which can make a huge difference. For example, buying Spot a dog bed made from re-purposed recycled plastic bottles, ones that would normally go in landfills. Perhaps, purchasing that one special chew toy made with sustainable hemp for that earth-loving dog. Maybe, chauffeuring your dog to the vet in that energy efficient vehicle or carpooling to that doggie play-date at the park. Better yet, if you are fortune enough to live near park, take your dog on the long awaited walk, giving your car the day off. More so, choosing to bath your dog with organic shampoo both sensitive to your dog’s skin and the earth, your dog and the earth will love you for it.

All of the brands we sell reflect a commitment to:

• Ecology and style: The finest goods that uniquely fuse quality and design with eco sensitivities.
• Organic, sustainable sources: The purest ingredients and sustainable resources possible.
• Earth and people friendly: brands who share our values and work to make a positive difference in the world.

Our slogan “eco-living for the everyday dog” is the cornerstone for all we do. An everyday dog is one who loves to romp in the park, play, and sniff, get its paws and muzzle dirty, loves to chase a squirrel or two, has a fascination with butterflies, and enjoys frolicking in the flower bed. Like our Lola, it is that special dog in your life that never wants to leave your side. When you come home from work he or she is waiting anxiously at the door to give you lots of wet licks and kisses. Then when you leave, even for a moment their eyes sadden as though they have lost their best friend. They remind us what is important and for many, dogs help us to remember our boundless spirit; living life to its fullest. Don’t get us wrong, even the every day dog loves to have their paws rubbed, a soothing aroma bath, and is a connoisseur of gourmet treats. We as human can attest to that!

3. You list multiple other company products on your site. What is your process for determining which products practice sustainable business practices?

We care about operating our business with a socially responsible mindset. We care about what is in the product, how it is made, where they are made and who makes them! Before we sell any product we do our research and make sure the company’s values and belief align with our vision to promote sustainability. We define sustainability as living in a way that will create a future for all people (animals included) to flourish while keeping the planet balanced and healthy. We aim to spoil dogs healthy and make the earth and doggy romplands a bit greener one paw print at a time.

Paw Luxury carefully select products with an eye for craftsmanship, the smallest details, and that certain something special that makes each item something to be discovered. We stand behind products that are eco-friendly, durable, made with organic, all natural ingredients and sustainable materials. We support companies that have strong ethical values and adhere to Fair Trade standards. This includes providing a healthy work environment for its workers, paying a fair wage, and raising the quality of life. We are proud to support brands that “romp the romp”, in human terms meaning, “walk the walk” these companies not only speak about green living but live it.

Many of the companies are even going that extra mile to lessen their paw prints on the earth by greening their day-to-day operations. For example, making their business more energy efficient, using sustainable eco-friendly office materials down to the ink, encouraging employees to carpool, supporting causes that care about the earth and helping to support local pet related charities. Their standard for excellence goes beyond the quality of the product, but extends to the quality of the packaging being made of recyclable or recycled materials.

If the products don’t align with our vision and mission we don’t sell it on our site. Also, we give the company tips on what they can do to make their product more sustainable and green worthy.

4. What are some of the health benefits of eco-friendly pet products?

Green Living is not only good for the earth but your dog too. Besides lowering your carbon “paw” print and saving the planet there are many health benefits to using eco-friendly pet products.

1. Natural and organic pet foods use meats that are raised in sustainable, humane ways without added drugs or hormones, minimally processed, and preserved with natural substances, such as vitamins C and E. Certified-organic pet foods must meet strict USDA standards that spell out how ingredients are produced and processed, which means no pesticides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, artificial preservatives, artificial ingredients or genetically engineered ingredients. Organic pet food has many advantages. These include reduction of skin ailments and allergies, more energy, a healthy weight, fewer digestive disorders, better overall health, stronger immunity, a better quality of life and a longer life. Holistic and organic pet foods are made with the same ingredients we would eat, such as human-grade chicken, turkey or lamb, rice, peas and carrots. Typically they do not contain wheat or corn although they may contain grains such as barley or digestible oats. They are also free of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, chemical additives, artificial colors and flavor enhancers. While conventional pet food (a/k/a junk food) contains chemicals and animal by products not fit for human consumption, for these reason your pet may have skin ailments and allergies. Because the all-natural and organic food is more digestible, your pet will absorb more nutrients from their food, which is essential to maintaining a healthy immune system. Finally it is important to remember that just as organic food and a healthy diet contribute to our quality of life, they also contribute to our pet’s quality of life.
2. Eco-friendly pet products made from sustainable naturally grown hemp and organic cotton, eco-friendly leashes and collars both look good and are green. Hemp is biodegradable, strong, durable and hypoallergenic, and flourishes without pesticides. In particular our Earth Dog & The Good Dog Company leashes, collars, toys and beds are made of natural hemp and dyed with natural vegetable based dyes. Hemp is naturally hypoallergenic so great for dogs with more sensitive skins and actually gets softer the more it is worn so is really comfortable for the dogs. Our sensitive and allergy prone dog Lola wears a stylish Earth Dog collar and it does not irritate her skin.
3. The eco-friendly toys made with non-toxic materials, like our West Paw eco-toys, which are safe for your pet to chew on. As pet owners and proud parents as many would say it is our responsibility to provide our dogs with safe toys that match their unique chewing habits. Unlike rawhide, which is usually treated with formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Rawhide is not easily digested, so the dog may bloat, get diarrhea, or end up with the bone lodged in his intestinal tract. Also, with the recent scare of lead found in children toys pet owners should also be concerned about the toy Fido or Felix chews on. Since lead in high doses can be fatal to humans and pets. Since chewing is a favorite pastime of our furry companions it is important to choose toys that are safe the touch or in this case the chomped or licked. Choosing toys made from organic cotton, hemp or sustainable plastics will ensure your dog health is protected.
4. Sudsing up Fido with all natural & organic shampoo and conditioners is a huge plus. The ingredients are non-toxic and safe for even this most sensitive dog. Many of our eco-friendly natural bathing products are extraordinarily mild, moisturizing, hypoallergenic, and free of petroleum or animal by-products, and keeps dog coat healthier and shiner. Not to mention made without chemical detergents, artificial foaming boosters, synthetic fragrances, colors, or preservatives. Conventional pet bathing products can contain toxic chemicals you would normally avoid for yourself – parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, cocomide DEA, cocomide MEA, TEA lauryl sulfate and propylene glycol. Known for everything from irritating skin to contributing to a variety of cancers, these ingredients have the same impact on your favorite pet. An added bonus is that many of these eco-friendly shampoos and conditioners contain a natural flea and tick repellent that works wonders, an alternative to using conventional flea & tick medication, which is made of toxic chemicals that can be harsh, your pets body.

5. You guys seem to be using your dog Lola as a mascot for your business. How did that come about? Does Lola test out the products before they are sold in the store? Will you be carrying products for any other pets aside from dogs?

Since Lola is the inspiration we figured it was only appropriate that she be the official spokes dog. What better way to spread the word about living a sustainable lifestyle then seeing it in action? The idea that living green is easy, even your dog can join in and all it takes it small puppy steps. We wanted people to see the amazing health benefits of the all natural products and eco-friendly by just looking at Lola the eco dog.

Lola is the official head of our Board of Testers and Tasters and gives us honest feedback when it comes down to selecting what we offer on the site. So you can rest easy knowing that all of the products offered are doggie approved and tail wagging guaranteed. Our promise is that we wouldn’t sell any product to you that we wouldn’t give to our own dog Lola, and we stand behind that promise, never compromising.

For all you cat lovers out there, no need to worry www.pawlux.com will be offering an array of eco-friendly products for your fancy felines in the upcoming months. From organic catnip, treats, toys, collars, and scratchers even the most finicky feline won’t be able to resist. So stay tuned to our site, these products are sure to be a “cat’s meow”!

6. Why do you think it is important for pet owners to partake in buying sustainable products for their pet? Many people are probably thinking: Will it really make that much of a difference? How would you convince them otherwise?

With the recent pet food recall and lead being found in toys doggy parents are thinking hard about what they feed their pet and what Fido chews on. Not to mention many positive benefits going green has on saving the earth, Fido’s health and our own health and well-being. Many pet owners are experiencing for themselves how natural and green living correlates with their quality of life and how good they feel day to day. Leaving eco consumers like us pondering, “If going green is good for me, then it must be good for my dog”. As more and more people consider not only what they purchase for themselves and Fido, but also what they consume. This has lead people to think long and hard about what they put on and in their body and the implications these decisions whether good or bad have on the health of their four-legged friend.

One can’t deny the strong emotional bond between a dog and their owner, the belief that like our children, trusting and innocent, they need to be nurtured. It is up to us to provide them with a loving, safe, comfortable, and a fun place to romp and flop that means providing them with the best in eco-pet care. Dogs are a part of the family, our best friend, an extension of who we are. Dogs have a amazing gift of making everything okay even in the midst of adversity, can teach you the true meaning of unconditional love, and have the uncanny knack of bringing people from different worlds together. So for all they do for us each day, why not give them the best nature has to offer in green living.

On a more personal note, since we have made environmentally friendly changes in the life of our sensitive dog Lola we noticed she is a lot happier and healthier. Not to mention we rest easy knowing she is getting the best nature has to offer and can save the planet at the same time, a win, win situation in our book. We are feeding her holistic, all natural & organic dog food some of which we are making ourselves. The food & treats we feed her are human grade, organic, wheat, gluten, soy & diary free very important to Lola who is highly allergy prone. Since being on the all-natural diet she has not had any allergic reactions.

Going the all-natural route has made her a lot less gassy, digest food a lot better, and has more stamina, does not have allergic reactions or suffer from some of the most common dog ailments. So we have found we spend less time at the vet office (low vet bills!) and more time having fun outdoors. Since we have been feeding her a more natural diet & bathing her with organic all natural spa products she has a more shiny, soft and healthier coat. Most of the spa, treats, and health & wellness products have dual purposes and help relieve some common dog problems. From moisturizing her dry and itchy skin to flea prevention, Lola is able to spend less time scratching in this flea eat dog world and more time doing what she loves, fetching, getting dirty, digging holes the size of craters, blogging and spreading the word about going green.

She is a lot calmer and has a lot more wag in her step. Not only that, she does not seem to have an odor to her coat or that infamous bad dog breathe we hear so much about. We also are using some of our health & wellness products that nurture a dog’s inner and outer well being. We recently took her to a vet and got a lot of praise from our vet wondering what we are doing differently since last we spoke. So we were able to share with her our all-natural approach.

As for play the eco-friendly toys are not only good for the earth but highly interactive and gets us all off the couch and outdoors. Particularly, Lola loves playing Frisbee with her West Paw flying Zisc toy made out of Zogoflex and this keeps her in shape & active. The best part is that after a long hard day at play she gets to flop and close her eyes on a plush, soft & durable West Paw Eco-nap made out of soda bottles. Like the saying goes “Another mans trash is another’s plush eco bed”. Oh the dog’s life never looked or felt so good!

7 PawLux.com offers icons that describe “eco-friendly” elements of each product. A few of the ones I noticed are: Eco-friendly Product; Made in the U.S.A; 100% recyclable; made from recycled materials; certified organic cotton. Can you break down each of these, why they are important, and how you ensure their quality?

Eco-friendly refers to products or services that inflict minimal harm/impact on the environment. It is the basic idea of treading light on the earth. If we are going to make a huge impact we need to first be good stewards of our precious yet depleting resources.

Biodegradable materials are generally plant-based, animal-based or natural mineral-based products, and will fully break down within months and return to nature. For Fido, there are Spike Brand Business Bags, which are biodegradable doggie pickup made from real corn. So they biodegrade completely in just 45 days leaving no trace of plastic. Not like those plastic bags that litter landfills, taking centuries to decompose, and actually help preserve that squishy stuff.

Recycled Products are comprised of materials that have been extracted from the garbage or waste. While Recycling is the reprocessing of materials into new products and generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage, and hence greenhouse gas emissions, creates less air & water pollution, save our natural resources compared to virgin production or making something from scratch. Recycling plays a huge role in saving the planet and it is all summed up in the famous phrase “Recycle, Reduce & Reuse by breathing life back into something old considered by many to be junk. Thereby reducing the amount of waste that goes into our landfills. “Recyclables” include glass, paper, aluminum, asphalt, iron, textiles and plastics. Biodegradable waste, such as our food or garden waste is also recyclable with the assistance of microorganisms through composting.

Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that’s more than any other crop per unit. Unlike conventional grown cotton, organic cotton is grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals, and that makes it hugely different, especially considering that cotton (organic or otherwise) provides about half of all the world’s fiber needs. Organic cotton, on the other hand, uses agricultural methods designed to help sustain the land it grows on, the people who grow and harvest it and the planet in general. Like all organic products, organic cotton must be certified as such by a third party, based upon pre-determined rules and regulations for what is and isn’t allowed in the cultivation process. Here in the United States, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the organic certification process.

Made in the USA, refers to it being produced and manufactured in the USA as oppose to outsourcing to third world countries. By making products in the USA less energy is being used and less carbon emissions, thereby reducing a company’s carbon footprint. Also this helps to raise the standard of living for American workers by providing jobs.

How we measure true quality of the products we offer can be summed up in this one phrase “If it’s not good enough for our dog, then it’s not good enough for your dog”. Trust us our dog Lola (aka Lola the eco dog) is our little princess and love to spoil her healthy. We ensure the quality of the products we sell by making sure they align with our motto “healthy dog, healthy earth, happier life”. Before deciding to sell a product on our site we do research first and make sure the company’s values and belief align with our vision to promote sustainability.

We define sustainability as living in a way that will create a future for all people (animals included) to flourish while keeping the planet balanced and healthy. We want to make sure the products are being made in an eco-friendly fashion and that the company is adhering to ethical practices, meaning Fair Trade and sweat shop free. On top of that we look at the product, sample it first for ourselves and carefully read the label. Then we also speak one on one with the company either by phone or email and ask them a set of specific questions: How are the products made? Where they are made? And who makes them? We are proud to support brands that “romp the romp”, in human terms meaning, “walk the walk” these companies not only speak about green living but live it. Like Paw Luxury, many are even going that extra mile to lessen their paw prints on the earth by greening their day-to-day operations. For example, making their business more energy efficient, using sustainable eco-friendly office materials down to the ink, encouraging employees to carpool, and supporting causes that care about the earth. Their standard for excellence goes beyond the quality of the product, but extends to the quality of the packaging being made of recyclable or recycled materials. We are proud to say that some of the products we offer are handmade locally in Williamsport, PA. We offer products that are made in the USA, because it is vital that we support small family run businesses and the American worker’s

7. Lola also seems to have an editorial advice column blog. She is a part of plenty of social networks as well. How has this helped your marketing campaign?

It allows us to connect with people of the same interest, meet people with different interest and engage in interesting conversation as well as being a great networking tool. People love to feel like their part of a community and family and social networks does just that. Twitter has been a great tool for us both personal and on a business level. The quality connections we’ve made on Twitter are irreplaceable and people get to know us on an even personal level and vice versa. Even Lola the eco dog has her Twitter account at twitter.com/Lola-eco-dog and she gets to bark with her pup pals. On Twitter it is fun to hear what people are doing at that very moment and we enjoy getting updates from our followers and people we are following. Also, we are able to get instant feedback and ask questions and the community is always there a second click of the mouse to help.

As a business we wanted to always be transparent and approachable just like our lovable dog Lola. Twitter is great for getting news briefing, friend sourcing when you are looking for services, sharing to let people know about your latest blog post or something funny and entertaining you found on the web. But also serves as a great way to spread the word about a good cause, for us: Saving the planet.

9. Any final thoughts or words of wisdom for TheGreenRocket.com community?

It is amazing how little changes in our lifestyles make a huge impact. There are so many practical ways to make a healthy environmental impact and protect our precious resources. Living a green lifestyle does not mean sacrificing luxury; it all comes down to making smart healthy choices both good for you and the earth. Perhaps for some it comes down to a shift in ones spending habits to more environmental products & solutions that are good for the earth and us. From green cleaning products to vegan footwear there are so many ways to live sustainable day-to-day. Maybe its taking cans to the recycling center, driving a hybrid car, or riding your bike to and fro. Or like many, it comes down to “wearing our cause on our sleeve ” by sporting the latest fashions in organic tees & denim. Giving new meaning & spin to the phrase “wearing your heart on your sleeve”. Even Fido is getting in on the action and barking the bark.

No matter how we decide to support the green cause we are all working toward a common goal and a common good. But it starts with making a few smart choices and the conscious decision to be socially and environmentally responsible. The word smart really sums up what the green movement is about which is being informed, responsible, eco-friendly and making a difference. All it takes is small puppy steps, which can have a huge impact on the future and the world our kids (two & four legged included) will inherit. The best part is that when we put all of our small efforts together, wow what an impact!

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