Service learning reflection

During  this semester, I have had the able to work with Bubbles and Fluff and got a firsthand account with some amazing dogs.I got to groom and wash animal's the community members.in addition I walked the rescues that we're currently staying at this faculty. Though my service learning, I learned the importance of  grooming animals. With grooming a dog properly, it prevents mats, overgrown nails, ticks, maggots, and ear worm which can cause pain and other serious health problem With now knowing this I am better able to educate people and myself in the what steps to take to prevent these problems to occur in their and my pet.I plan to continue working with this organziation, and as I reach the age requirement,I will work animal shelters. I personally wish I could do more in helping the animals of the community and educating others on how to properly take care of their animals.

Articles in Horry County on animal abandonment cases

http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_ad95c4ea-4561-5460-b261-85c5cf42fecd.html?mode=story
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/18758109/horry-county-drug-unit-raids-carolina-forest-head-shop
http://thesunnews.typepad.com/opinionblog/2008/12/animal-slaug-22.html
http://data.opi.mt.gov/legbills/2011/Minutes/House/Exhibits/juh76a03.pdf

Some basic statistics

Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). Shelter intakes are about evenly divided between those animals relinquished by owners and those picked up by animal control. These are national estimates; the percentage of euthanasia may vary from state to state. According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2 percent of cats and only 15 to 20 percent of dogs are returned to their owners. Most of these were identified with tags, tattoos or microchips. Twenty-five percent of dogs who enter local shelters are purebred. (Source: NCPPSP) Only 10 percent of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered, while 78 percent of pet dogs and 88 percent of pet cats are spayed or neutered, according to the American Pet Products Association (Source: APPA). More than 20 percent of people who leave dogs in shelters adopted them from a shelter. (Source: NCPPSP)

Problem Solution Paper

Kerri Ann Czerkawskyj

Mrs. Atkinson

English IV

15 April 2013

Animal Abandonment

If we were to educate people the costs it takes to have an animal, people would take more time and effort in owning a new companion. There are many costs that go into having and taking care of an animal in the proper way. They need to go to the vet for regular checkups, heartworm, shots, neutering, and food. “If pet-owner education can start in elementary schools, it could change the way shelters have to deal with animals the same way school campaigns like Smokey Bear, Woodsy Owl, and Stop, Drop and Roll have changed the way people think about caring for forests or about how to deal with fire emergencies. It has just become part of the culture” (Bonome).

There are countless solutions to solve this issue in today’s society, but it basically comes down to knowing your information and knowing what you need to do and how to keep things going the way it should go.I have volunteered and helped on and off with animal organizations. I have personally seen this issue in my own life. I adopted my dog Dixie about nine years ago. She was rescued from abandonment. The family she was living with did not have the money to take care of her. In August, they dumped her in the middle of nowhere where they tired her to a telephone pole and left her to fend for herself. Due to being left on her own, she experienced nerve damaged in her nose. If you were to look at her nose, it is partially crooked at this point; there is nothing that can be done to resolve this problem. This personally makes me sick to see harmless animals being left to fend for themselves. People get an animal before they know what financial costs must be taken. People look at the short term cost when they need to look at both the short term and the long-term costs in being an animal owner.