This is an article in the NewScientist (see ditto dot com) - click on current issue, and find this title.
It quotes from a book called 'Time to Eat the Dog: the real guide to sustainable living' which works out the ecological pawprints of our 'furry friends' - or scaly ones, as a goldfish has a finprint equivalent to to cell-phones. A medium sized dog uses more resources than a Toyota Land Cruiser.
They recommend dual purpose pets like chickens as they lay eggs to make up for what they use - Not very cuddly though
And you cant use chickens to go walkies either...
What do you think?