A substantial number of pets are being euthanized every year due to overpopulation. Accidental pet pregnancies can leave owners with no choice but to leave a litter of puppies or kittens at a nearby shelter, unaware of the inhumane process that give these animals a short life.  Many U.S. shelters that cannot provide a home for these animals are forced to put them down, even if they are healthy and have the potential to be a wonderful pet. In recent statistics, out of 2.7 million adoptable pets, one is put down every eleven seconds because of overpopulation. A significant resolution to this ongoing issue, is spay/neuter facilities set up to prevent an overpopulation of pets, along with adopting pets from shelters versus buying from other sources.

Although pet overpopulation is a danger to humans because it creates a higher risk of rabies, euthanizing is not a reasonable solution since we are killing innocent animals. Euthanizing may seem as the easiest choice for shelters however, it can be completely preventable if pets are spay/neutered when at a young age. There have been numerous clinics and programs set up to spay/neuter that have worked as a success, however there are still a notable number of euthanizing procedures. After researching concerns some people have against spay/neutering, a few comments stuck out, such as spay/neutering costs too much money. In response to these concerns programs have been set up to help pet owners avoid paying an enormous vet bill for the spay/neuter procedure that they cannot afford. For example, there are clinic trucks that offer discounted prices if caught on the right day, and they will do the procedure within hours. Other programs such as ASPCA and North Shore Animal League America, offer these spay/neuter procedures, along with a donation link for anyone who is willing to donate money. There are other options for families that cannot afford spay/neutering such as state or national groups that may be able to help out, along with speaking with a veterinarian that could possible work out payment arrangements. Another concern showed pet owners are afraid spay/neutering can cause the animals to become fat and overweight. This issue seems to be completely irrelevant since overfeeding a pet is usually the cause of being overweight, so healthy eating will help prevent any overweight problems. Daily exercise for a pet will also help contribute to animal weight loss, giving roughly 20 to 60 minutes of exercise every day is recommended for maintaining a healthy pet.

In a recent article, “Addressing the problem of pet overpopulation,” by Jean McNeil and Elisabeth Constandy, they discuss how a new facility built for spay/neuter procedures has significantly decreased the amount of pets euthanized. After years of approvals and construction, the New Hanover County Property Management became the project manager and was able to get the facility up and running with building costs of $58,000. In 2004 the facility was completely built, and by 2006 there was a total of 1,108 surgeries completed, preventing roughly 3,325-5,000 animals from being euthanized

Another option these programs have are links set up to help interested owners adopt these pets before searching elsewhere. Although many may not realize, adopting a pet can make a significant difference for these shelters, leaving more space for other animals to be taken in. One benefit to adopting is costs, which is substantially different, ranging anywhere from $0-$100 maximum, versus spending thousands of dollars at a pet store or breeder.

As a nation we must continue to increase the amount of spay/neuter facilities to help decrease pet overpopulation. Euthanizing helpless animals in my opinion should be illegal, and spay/neuter facilities should be set up world-wide. A recent article, “Animal Overpopulation,” by Joanna Zelman, states “Even in countries with laws against animal cruelty, there is suffering. PETA estimates that up to 4 million animals are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year.”This statement expresses that there is still a great deal of work to be done to this day to help these animals. In able to increase facilities, there should be more advertisement for donations from inside pet stores to television commercials. Donations from all sources should be put towards the construction of these new facilities, as most places have already started to do

1. http://www.maph.unc.edu/jphmp/PHH12_5_08_452-455.pdf

2. http://www.bristolcc.edu:2289/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ2119000032&source=Bookmark&u=mlin_s_bristcc&jsid=38277cce78002ea8a06d272c2afa879

3. http://www.bristolcc.edu:2289/ic/ovic/StatisticsDetailsPage/StatisticsDetailsWindow?prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&mode=view&displayGroupName=Statistics&limiter=&displayGroups=&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&view=statisticsDocDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CEJ2210099230&source=Bookmark&u=mlin_s_bristcc&jsid=98f75e7726c43aef59c1e753c35609d4

4. http://www.bristolcc.edu:2410/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=6ab4435a-06f8-4442-ad20-ed85e1558f8b%40sessionmgr114&hid=121&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=nfh&AN=2W62W62409206662

5. http://www.animalleague.org/expert-advice/rescue/articles/help-end-overpopulation-article.html

Out of the list of research questions I posted on Formulating a research question, the one that I would like to use is: Is owning a dog better than having children? The reason is because I feel I can relate back to my Text-wreslting assignment for supporting information, however I have worries that the question may be to opinion based. Also, I am unsure of how to relate the question to the photo essay.

Option B: Is adopting a pet better than buying? With this question it may be easier to relate to the photo essay with pictures of rescued animals. However, may have trouble filling 3 pages of arguement essay with this question. In this essay I could write about the benefits of adopting a pet and the meaning to not only the owner but also the pet.

I am open to new ideas and will continue to search for other options in the mean-time.

Deciding whether or not to have children is an incredibly big decision that some people overlook without putting much thought into it. As many would expect, having a child brings enjoyable moments leading to treasurable memories. However, being a parent may not be all that pleasurable, as this life-changing-decision may be one that people want to reconsider.

In the article, “All Joy and No Fun,” Jennifer Senior argues that parenting can significantly diminish any joyful emotions one would think to have with a child and instead create an unbearable life of anxiety and misery. Targeting the early twenties to late thirties age group, the author provides a negative perspective for unhappy couples to help realize that having children is not always the answer to happiness. For families who already have children, attempting to sculpt your child to perfection can generate those unhappy feelings due to the hard work and stress put in.

Senior uses multiple sources of survey results from psychologists, sociologists, and economists to support her article. For example, psychologists W. Keith Campbell and Jean Twenge researched marital-satisfaction between couples and discovered an overall decrease in satisfaction if they had kids.

The article mentions how in the past, children were considered assets but since raising kids has fundamentally changed, they have now become our managers. Likewise, she states how our advancement in technology causes children‘s behavior to change creating stressful situations. Over the course of time, children went from being brought up on farms working with their families to being more individual, pursuing college degrees and making their own career path, which becomes costly putting more stress on parents.

In relation to costs, Senior explains that parents, who are more financially stable, are less anxious since they do not have that burden of child care expenses weighing them down. She uses other countries with better welfare systems, to compare how much of an advantage wealthier people have. Since parents do not have to worry about the costs of education and health care, they can produce more children and still remain well-off. In addition, Senior compares American mother’s lives to other countries, such as Namibia. She states how mothers are genuinely calmer and are able to build a stress-free relationship with their children.

In the article, Senior also explains the feelings couples share when waiting later in life to have children. Not only do people know what their giving up when they wait, but their expectations become greater, building up this sense of suspense, that is only to be quickly diminished.

However, the author takes a psychological view towards the end explaining how people would rather start a family than to look back and regret it later in life. Yes, parenting can at times cause unhappiness, but people would rather have children knowing their life has a purpose.  Even though children can cause a hectic life for parents, they must overlook those moment-to-moment battles as they will soon become treasurable memories.

Kirby Deater-Deckard, author of “Parenting Stress,” supports Senior’s article by stating, “Parenthood and ‘good’ parenting can mean very different things to different people, but nearly everyone can agree on this: Parenting is hard work, it is often stressful, and success (in the moment, over several days, or over years) requires adaptation” (Deater-Deckard, 2004). Deater-Deckard agrees with Senior, restating the major contributions of stress. Throughout his book, he writes a chapter specifically about the effects parental-stress has on children. This is where I believe  Senior could have went more into detail in her article, explaining the impact on children with parents that are divorced or remarried.

After reading this article, I have mixed feelings about whether or not I agree with Senior. Recalling the exact conversation I had with my girlfriend a few months back, we discussed the pros and cons of having children. Our decision concluded to many points brought up by Senior in her article. The main reason we chose not to have children is because we would rather save our money and spend it on multiple vacations we can take throughout our lifetime. I feel that if we had a child, not only will it cut down on our expenses, it will also become a hassle to find time to focus on our own relationship. As Senior explains, with the little time parents have alone together, it is usually wasted by watching television or something unproductive since exhaustion kicks in.

On the other hand, I also disagree with Senior’s article because of proven evidence that overcoming stress is possible and not every parent regrets having children. During a recent class I took during the fall semester, we discussed an article that explained useful ways to avoid stressful situations. This article went into depth about simple responses mothers can use to avoid blow-out arguments. Stress-free exercises can be done to decrease blood pressure and bring heart rates back to normal during those stressful situations. Also, Senior’s article seems to suggest most, if not all, parents have these similar feelings, but many parents do still enjoy having children and can live stress-free lives.

Works Cited

-Senior, Jennifer. “New York Magazine.” NYMag.com. N.p., 04 July 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

-Deater-Deckard, Kirby. “Parenting Stress.” Yale University Stress, 2004. Web. 6 Apr. 2014.

When it comes to canines, nothing can stop them from enjoyment when spending a day at the dog park. Temperatures are in the single-digits with frigid winds blowing at what feels like 60 miles an hour, making the cold penetrate through to every last bone of the human body. The day originally started off sunny with glistening murky-grey waters from the ocean that surrounded a majority of the park. But as minutes passed, grey and ominous clouds began to roll in from the distance warning everyone of yet another snow storm to come.

The edges of the ocean water are partially frozen over and the rocks are covered in snow but waves from afar are still heard splashing amongst docked boats, buoys and the bridge. The peaceful sounds of the ocean waves soon drowned out by the industrial noises of the busy highway behind the park. Ba-bump, ba-bump, the vehicles are driving over multiple potholes that are common on that highway. They are all headed to the busy city of Boston which can barely be distinguished just to the left-hand side of the park. A blanket of snow covered the nearby rooftops and lawns of beautiful houses in Quincy, which made it look like an image from a holiday card.

Despite the beauty and variety of sights I see from different sides of the park, the field itself is baron and covered in a foot of snow that had frozen over and crunched beneath the feet of pedestrians that struggles to walk through the park. A large wooden fence gates off the only entrance to the peninsula-shaped park, allowing the dogs to run freely. The wide-open area gives two paths, which eventually connects about half-mile on the opposite end. Small hills and valleys give the park character as the landscape dips and rises in unique patterns. Tracks of paw prints are stretched across the park making strange designs in the snow. There are small sections that reveal dirt and brown grass as a memento of the once-lush grass and fertilized soil that existed in the park before the cold took over. These spots were the most popular places to sniff for the many canines that were there earlier that day alongside their owners who decided to brave the immense cold for their dogs.

A woman with a long, brown coat lined with fur first caught my attention, walking her King Charles Cavalier. She has a wool hat and black gloves that matches alongside thick dark pants that are neatly tucked away into her heavy boots. She grasped onto her jacket tightly and followed her dog that led the way. The King Charles Cavalier is in a light brown jacket that has similar resemblances to the owner’s. Its long ears droop to its side when it sniffs the ground for the “perfect” spot to pee. It noticed a large clump of dirt and began to inspect it with its nose. The woman jerked the leash back and cried, “No, Muffin, that’s dirty!” and the dog retreated before it noticed something else to discover and ran towards it, pulling her owner along happily. She reached into her pocket to reward Muffin for listening, instantly causing the Cavalier to jump and claw at the woman with excitement, knowing it was about to receive a treat. When she finally sat down and wagged her tail, the owner gave her the treat and this look, as if to say, even though you are one crazy dog, you’re still my baby.

While sitting there observing with my dog, I glanced down to my West-Highland White Terrier, as she stared back at me. I reminisced about the many times I’ve been in the same situation where I give in to her. Some days I would come home to papers ripped up on the floor. My first reaction is to make her understand what she did was wrong but the innocent little face she gives me instantly makes me forgive her. No matter how severe the situation, I could never stay mad at her for more than a few minutes before saying “it’s okay, I forgive you.”

Soon after, a mid-aged Black Labrador came bolting across the snow, followed by a man dressed in a black North Face jacket half-way zipped, with blue denim jeans that cover most of his light brown construction boots. Without second guessing, the Black Lab ran up to the King Charles and they instantly began to sniff each other, causing the leash to get tangled around their paws. “Sorry about that!” the man said as he pulled the collar of his Labrador away. The woman however, was not the least bit aggravated and replied “not a problem.” As they engaged in conversation, the Black Lab crouched down on its front legs, insisting Muffin to play. Kicking up pebbles and creating a small cloud of dirt smoke, the King Charles raced towards the Black Lab and danced around until the owner let go of the collar so they could play. Throughout their conversation they watched their dogs run back and forth, playing and enjoying each other’s company. Both owners laughed at their dog’s actions, giving the park a cheerful atmosphere.

A jogger wearing a vibrant pink sweatshirt and swishy blue pants, came into my view, running alongside her Golden Retriever with a chewed up tennis ball in its mouth. Their quick-paced steps seem to excite the other dogs as they grow closer. Approaching within feet, the Golden Retriever looked up at its owner waiting for an approval response, making sure it was okay to stop and sniff the other dogs. The jogger removed her headphone from one ear, jogged in place, and stated “you can say hi.” She gave a great big friendly smile and chuckle to the other owners as they each watched all three dogs grouped together wag their tails and sniff each other. “Alright lets go” the runner said, giving her dog a quick pat on the head. They began to jog away when the Golden Retriever stopped to turn around towards the other dogs, as if to say bye, then noticed the distance between its’ owner and picked up speed to catch up.

A day at the dog park resembles a getaway place that one can visit to not only bring joy to their dog but also to take time off from our rushed and busy lives. Dog owners feel that sense of relief and joy when they see their dog enjoying themselves with other canines after being cooped up inside. Rarely do you hear of a dog owner being depressed, which partially explains for all the positive energy at the park.  It doesn’t matter what the weather brings, owners are willing to suck it up and bare it for that fulfillment of happiness. On the other hand, as for dogs, they resemble their owners from matching outfits to identical traits, but somehow, when it comes to meeting other dogs, they are all ultimately filled with curiosity and excitement that they cannot contain. They share a leadership bond with their owners, looking for guidance during unsure situations, trusting they would never be lead to danger. With the constant need of exercise, dogs promote healthier lifestyles for humans as it encourages them to go on daily walks or runs in the park. They are also able to give their owners emotional support when needed the most, which creates more positive human interactions. Dogs have this kindness and loving nature that makes one wonder why we don’t live our lives like our companions.

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/bristolcc/docDetail.action?docID=10167893

In the article, “All Joy and No Fun,” Jennifer Senior argues that parenting can significantly diminish any joyful emotions one would think to have with a child and instead create an unbearable life of anxiety and misery. Targeting the early twenties to late thirties age group, the author provides a negative perspective for unhappy couples to help realize that having children is not always the answer to happiness. For families who already have children, attempting to sculpt your child to perfection can generate those unhappy feelings due to the hard work and stress put in.

The author gives supporting reasons why children ignite these stressful situations causing parents to overlook what their children actually mean to them. When a child argues with their parents after a long day of work, a simple request that is refused can escalate quickly to a stressful situation. Jennifer gives the reader an example of the common household argument between parents and children to give a realistic view for the reader to relate to throughout the article. She also states how our advancement in technology causes children‘s behavior to change creating stressful situations. Over the course of time, children went from being brought up on farms working with their families to being more individual, pursuing college degrees and making their own career path, which becomes costly putting more stress on parents.

In relation to costs, Jennifer explains that parents who are more financially stable are less anxious since they do not have that burden of child care expenses weighing them down. She uses other countries with better welfare systems to compare how much of an advantage wealthier people have. Since parents do not have to worry about the costs of education and health care, they can produce more children and still remain well-off.

However, the author takes a psychological view towards the end explaining how people would rather start a family than to look back and regret it later in life. Even though children can cause a hectic life for parents, they must overlook those moment-to-moment battles as they will soon become treasurable memories.

All Joy and No Fun: Why parents hate parenting

Works Cited: Senior, Jennifer. “New York Magazine.” NYMag.com. N.p., 04 July 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

When it comes to canines, nothing can stop them from a trip to the park and on that bitter-cold winter day, it was no exception. Temperatures were in the single-digits that day with frigid winds blowing at what felt like 60 miles an hour making the cold penetrate through to every last bone of the human body. The day originally started off sunny with glistening murky-grey waters from the ocean that surrounded a majority of the park. But as minutes passed, grey and ominous clouds began to roll in from the distance warning everyone of yet another snow storm to come. The edges of the ocean water were partially frozen over and the rocks were covered in snow but waves from afar could still be heard splashing amongst docked boats, buoys and the bridge.

The peaceful sounds of the ocean waves were soon drowned out by the industrial noises of the busy highway behind the park. Car engines revved and sirens from a police car could be heard not too far behind. Chains from the back of a large truck clanged as it swayed from side to side. Ba-bump, ba-bump went the vehicles as they drove over multiple potholes that were common on that highway. They were all headed to the busy city of Boston which could barely be distinguished just to the left-hand side of the park. The Prudential building peeked out above the other buildings and smoke could be seen rising above the city from a factory. The air above Boston was grey and dark but lightened and cleared as it reached the ocean. Across the water and seen to the right-hand side of the park were the beautiful houses of Quincy which were peering out from behind bare trees. A blanket of snow covered the roofs and lawns which made it look like an image from a holiday card.

Despite the beauty and variety of sights that could be seen from different sides of the park, the field itself was baron and covered in a foot of snow that had frozen over and crunched beneath the feet of pedestrians that struggled to walk through the park. Small hills and valleys gave the park character as the landscape dipped and rose in unique patterns. Tracks of paw prints stretched across the park making strange designs in the snow. There were small sections that revealed dirt and brown grass as a memento of the once-lush grass and fertilized soil that existed in the park before the cold took over. These were the most popular places to sniff for the many canines that were there that day alongside their owners who decided to brave the immense cold for their dogs.

A woman with a long, brown coat lined with fur could be seen walking her King Charles Cavalier. She had a wool hat and black gloves that matched alongside thick dark pants that were neatly tucked away into her heavy boots. She grasped onto her jacket tightly and followed her dog that led the way. The King Charles Cavalier was in a light brown jacket that had similar resemblances to the owner’s. Its long ears drooped to its side as it sniffed the ground for the “perfect” spot to pee. It noticed a large clump of dirt and began to inspect it with its nose. The woman jerked its leash back and cried, “No, Muffin, that’s dirty!” and the dog retreated before it noticed something else to discover and ran towards it, pulling her owner along happily.

Soon after, a mid-aged Black Labrador came bolting across the snow, followed by a man dressed in a black North Face jacket half-way zipped, with blue denim jeans that covered most of his light brown construction boots. Without second guessing, the Black Lab ran up to the King Charles and they instantly began to sniff each other, causing the leash to get tangled around their paws. “Sorry about that!” the man said as he pulled the collar of his Labrador away. The woman however, was not the least bit aggravated and replied “not a problem.” As they engaged in conversation, the Black Lab crouched down on its front legs insisting Muffin to play. Kicking up pebbles and creating a small cloud of dirt smoke, the King Charles raced towards the Black Lab and danced around until the owner let go of the collar so they could play.

A jogger wearing a vibrant pink sweatshirt and swishy blue pants, came into view, running alongside her Golden Retriever with a chewed up tennis ball in its mouth. Their quick-paced steps seemed to excite the other dogs as they grew closer. Approaching within feet, the Golden Retriever looked up at its owner waiting for an approval response, making sure it was okay to stop and sniff. The jogger removed her headphone from one ear, jogged in placed, and stated “you can say hi.” All three dogs grouped together and wagged their tails as a friendly sign to say hello. “Alright lets go” the runner said to her dog. They began to jog away when the Golden Retriever stopped to turn around, as if to say bye, then noticed the distance between its owner, so it picked up speed to catch up.

A day at the dog park resembles a getaway place that one can visit to not only bring joy to their dog but also to take time off from our rushed and busy lives. Dog owners feel that sense of relief and joy when they see their dog enjoying themselves with other canines after being cooped up inside. It doesn’t matter what the weather is, owners are willing to suck it up and bare it for that fulfillment of happiness. On the other hand, as for the dogs, they resemble their owners, from matching outfits to identical traits, but manage to stay friendly with every dog they meet. The bond between canines and humans are unique in the sense that canines need to be taken care of by humans and properly guided, however, little do people realize that in return, they provide their owners with unconditional emotional support, love, protection, loyalty and forgiveness.  Dogs have this kindness and loving nature that makes one wonder why we don’t live our lives like our companions.

“BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.” It was 7:00AM on Sunday morning, a few days before Christmas and my alarm was piercing through my ears. I lay there, in our small twin bed, up on the third floor of our apartment, gazing out the window. The brightness from outside instantly made me rub my eyes as they began to water. My first thought was where the hell is the snooze button so I can go back to sleep. When I came to, I realized today is the day I will surprise my girlfriend with a gift that will change her life.                                                                                                                                                                                                         As I grew anxious, I quickly threw on some clothes, headed for the car and before I knew it I was pulling up the long driveway to Puppies Galore. Walking in the door, the floors creaked from the old hardwood with each step I took. Looking ahead, I was surprised and unaware of the extensive variety of puppies available. I thought, would I be able to stay focused on the specific breed my girlfriend has forever dreamed of- a West Highland White Terrier? There were three rooms total, each room gated off into small sections. As I stepped in the first room, unsure of what to expect, my eyes lit up and heart filled with awe. There she was, an adorable Westie, jumping up and down and clawing at the cage as if she already knew she was coming home. Her short, pointy tail wagged at the speed of light as she looked at me excitedly with her bright, wide eyes. At that moment, I knew she was the one. Without a doubt in my mind, I picked her up and held her for the first time; she was so light and fragile. Her fur was messy and soft as I rubbed her back with my fingers. She curled up into a ball within the palms of my hand and slowly closed her eyes as she decided that it was a good time for a nap. I brought her to the front of the building to start filling out the paperwork. Soon after, it was official, she was coming home.                                                                                                                                                            While driving home, I looked at her falling asleep on my lap, I wondered, what would be the perfect name for the perfect pup— Fluffly, Snowy, Snowball…No, I needed something better…I thought about her breed and then it hit me—Wessie. My girlfriend was due back from visiting her family in New York so I began to plan out in my head how to surprise her with Wessie. As time slowly ticked by my nerves began to intensify. Soon after, I heard the car door shut and the front door open. Her quick- paced footsteps seemed to match my heartbeat as she swiftly came up the stairs. This was it. She covered her mouth, totally speechless, but completely filled with joy as she could not believe this little girl was hers. She knew right then, Wessie would change her life, but little did I know she would change mine too.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   My girlfriend, being a full-time student, spent most of her day in class or doing homework, leaving me to care for Wessie. Normally, I was able to sleep in each morning because of working the second shift, but that all changed as my mornings consisted of waking up at 4:00AM from toys having their squeakers gutted out. Not being able to fall back asleep, I would take Wessie outside for a frigid, quick walk around the neighborhood. As I crawled back into bed, she cuddled up next to me and buried her face into my hands, suggesting that I pet her. She looked at me with her adorable eyes until she slowly drifted off to sleep. I spent most of my day training Wessie, teaching her commands such as sit, lay and spin. We built this bond with each other that gave her a sense of comfort with me, knowing that I was there to take care of her. Heading to work became dreadful; all I could think about was her sad little face as I walked out the door and hearing faint cries as I walked further away. I constantly thought about her—I missed her, and then it dawned on me, the main reason I bought her was to be a perfect gift for my girlfriend. But, in reality, she was a gift to me—I felt a sense of fulfillment and company through having her. I wanted to protect her and ensure she was not only healthy and happy, but knew just how much she was loved. She not only taught me to be responsible but also gave me a different view on life. She is my best friend, my little monster, my princess but ultimately, she is my little girl.

My chosen theme for this Ethnography essay is Family, and I would like to stay on the subject of dogs, so the first thought that comes to mind is spending a day at the dog park and observing dog walkers. However, I noticed this topic has been previously done, so I am open to new ideas..Any suggestions?