GRASS IS GREENER: Considering the Impact of Organic Lawn Care on Pets
Writer, KJ McGlinn
Featuring Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Originally Published in the Holistic Living Magazine
When it comes to thinking about a holistic approach to your pets, you have many options from integrative medicine to organic diets, but today we’re going to talk about how thinking holistically about your lawn is beneficial for your pet too.
As we look forward to the grass reemerging, there are some compelling reasons for you to consider an organic approach to caring for your lawn this spring, especially if you’re an animal lover. I spoke with Alec McClennan, founder of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care, about the pet owners they serve, and why we should all think about what we put on our lawns for the sake of our pets, our wildlife, our kids and ourselves.
McClennan’s motivation for starting Good Nature stemmed from his experience as a teenager in the early ‘90s being the designated lawn fertilizer guy for his parents’ place. He followed the conventional chemical program for lawn care until his biology teacher shed light on the problems caused by these chemicals.
This revelation sparked his curiosity and made him question the necessity of using harmful chemicals on lawns.
At that young age, McClennan took on the challenge of finding an alternative approach to his parents’ lawn care. What started as a simple task to find a replacement for chemical-based lawn care for his own home turned into a passion. He says more often these days, people call Good Nature looking for an alternative to traditional lawn treatments because of their furry family members. “There’s a lot of people that are concerned about that; I used to think it was kids that they wanted to protect, but now I realize I think they’re more interested in their dogs,” he says with a smile.
Traditional lawn care products often contain pesticides and herbicides that can linger on grass and pose a threat to your pets. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to various health issues including skin irritations, respiratory problems and even more serious conditions. Pets, especially dogs and cats, love to explore their surroundings and may ingest substances from the lawn. Organic lawn care eliminates the risk of accidental poisoning since natural fertilizers and treatments are nontoxic. Another benefit for you and your furry friend? Good Nature Organic Lawn Care provides mosquito, flea and tick prevention. McClennan urges pet owners to verify, before choosing a lawn company, that their natural approach is truly organic.“You’ve got to be a little bit careful,” he says. “For us, we’ll use garlic, peppermint oil and cedar oil to keep mosquitoes and ticks out of the yards. I think pet owners might sometimes be more concerned about that than their lawns.”
Many people ask if organic lawn care can provide the same results for their lawn. McClennan reassured me the results are even better. “You ultimately will end up with a healthier lawn.”
McClennan adds that, similar to a holistic health approach for our bodies, “you’ve got to diagnose what’s going on and get to the root cause.”
Simply put, choosing organic lawn care is a paws-itively responsible decision for pet owners.
Check out Good Nature Organic Lawn Care at, www.whygoodnature.com .

About the Writer: KJ can be seen on PetPals TV reaching over 41 million households nationwide each week, and she is host of the award-winning KJ TODAY Show, your place for the positive vibes of pop culture, people to know, and pets! She is also the author of the Amazon number-one new release, “Raised by Cats: Behind the Mic and the Meows.” She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and seven rescue cats. Her experience includes 12 years working in a cats-only clinic, she is a reiki master, and she dedicates time to helping multiple animal welfare organizations.
Follow KJ on social media at kjonsocial.com.
More from KJ and a holistic lifestyle can be found on this episode of the “Think Holistic” podcast.