Dog Adoption
Dog Adoption
Barbara Beatteay
COMM 215, Essentials of College Writing
August 13, 2010
Jill Holslin
Abstract
Adoption of a well trained dog can be very beneficial to their human caretakers in terms such as lower blood pressure, guiding the blind, therapy assistance, and even saving a life. Owning an animal for some provides a stronger bond than that of family members, as families become increasingly dysfunctional. For those people who wish to adopt a specific breed of dog, their wishes can be fulfilled by checking with breed-specific adoption groups as well as leaving special requests with their local shelter. Adoption of cats is also important, however, the focus of this paper will be on dogs. Adoption of animals helps to decrease euthanasia rates, the rate at which healthy animals are killed because they are unwanted.
Dog Adoption According to Shelter Survivors, lucky are the dogs who are adopted from shelters as 64% of them, abused, neglected, and abandoned, are euthanized because of lack of space. With 70,000 dogs and cats born every day, as opposed to 10,000 human babies that leaves three to four million animals euthanized each year (Kilcommons, 2006). Many are the stories of adopting dogs from shelters and the love and companionship that was provided by that adopted family member (Huxford, 2010). Dog adoption, unfortunately, is not for everyone. Elderly people on fixed incomes find the proper animal care, food, grooming, veterinary bills, expensive. The training of dogs is also a concern, dogs must be trained, to sit, stay, come, stay down, be quiet as well as heel on a leash. Dogs bore easily and need considerable daily exercise, play time with their human owner. Many dogs are working dogs and have instincts that need to be stimulated for the well-being of the animal, for example, the Labrador Retriever is frequently employed as a therapy dog. They are capable of opening doors, shutting on or off lights, bringing
Barbara Beatteay
COMM 215, Essentials of College Writing
August 13, 2010
Jill Holslin
Abstract
Adoption of a well trained dog can be very beneficial to their human caretakers in terms such as lower blood pressure, guiding the blind, therapy assistance, and even saving a life. Owning an animal for some provides a stronger bond than that of family members, as families become increasingly dysfunctional. For those people who wish to adopt a specific breed of dog, their wishes can be fulfilled by checking with breed-specific adoption groups as well as leaving special requests with their local shelter. Adoption of cats is also important, however, the focus of this paper will be on dogs. Adoption of animals helps to decrease euthanasia rates, the rate at which healthy animals are killed because they are unwanted.
Dog Adoption According to Shelter Survivors, lucky are the dogs who are adopted from shelters as 64% of them, abused, neglected, and abandoned, are euthanized because of lack of space. With 70,000 dogs and cats born every day, as opposed to 10,000 human babies that leaves three to four million animals euthanized each year (Kilcommons, 2006). Many are the stories of adopting dogs from shelters and the love and companionship that was provided by that adopted family member (Huxford, 2010). Dog adoption, unfortunately, is not for everyone. Elderly people on fixed incomes find the proper animal care, food, grooming, veterinary bills, expensive. The training of dogs is also a concern, dogs must be trained, to sit, stay, come, stay down, be quiet as well as heel on a leash. Dogs bore easily and need considerable daily exercise, play time with their human owner. Many dogs are working dogs and have instincts that need to be stimulated for the well-being of the animal, for example, the Labrador Retriever is frequently employed as a therapy dog. They are capable of opening doors, shutting on or off lights, bringing
References: Frank, Joshua, Frank, Pamela Carlisle, Attitudes and Perceptions Regarding Pet Adoption, Conference Papers – American Sociological Association, 2003 Annual Meeting, P1-20. Metzler, Brian, Dog comes to racer 's rescue, ESPNOutdoors.com, December 22, 2006 Kilcommons, Brian, Wilson, Sarah, Rescue Groups & Shelters: Bridging the Gap, Dog World, Dec2006, Vol Coco, P., Dog Defenders, Scholastic News – Edition 4, (2006), p.68.