Pet Adoption
By: Kalyn Ware
Supporting Questions:
2. What can we do to lower the rates of euthanizing in the shelters?
3. What groups of animals are neglected in shelters?
Background Information:
- "What causes the overpopulation is that people don’t get their animals fixed. When kitten and puppy season comes around (which is now), they bring us the kittens and then keep the momma. It seems to be a never ending cycle."
- "If everyone would start by having their animals spayed and neutered, then the cycle would be broken. TCAP offers low cost spay/neutering, shots, microchipping, and dental work."
- "More adoptions, and showing the city that they need to have their animals fixed. At the shelter, if someone’s dog or cat comes in, we have a law that they have to pay $90 to have them fixed, microchipped, and rabies shot. Or if they don’t want the animal fixed they have to pay $150, and pay separate for the rabies and microchip which are law. This helps lower the intake of animals in the shelter, therefore lowering the euthanizing rate."
- "There are three main reasons: Many people fail to spay or neuter their dogs and cats, who then reproduce, creating enormous numbers of kittens and puppies. People still buy animals from breeders or pet stores (thereby supporting the puppy mills that supply them) instead of adopting homeless animals. And people acquire companion animals without considering the lifetime commitment that caring for them requires. Eventually, people turn their backs on their loyal companions when they become “inconvenient” or “too much work.”
- "Usually cats and dogs that are considered an “adult” are some of our longest residents. Not many families prefer an older dog/cat, rather than a puppy or kitten."
- "The companion animal overpopulation crisis can be overwhelming, but solving it starts with a “no-birth nation.” We must all prevent more animals from being born by spaying and neutering."
4 Steps to Inquiry
The four steps to inquiry for the topic of pet adoption include identifying the problem, researching the problem, examining solutions using evidence, and communicating solution and taking informed action. In order to identify the problem at hand, I came up with the previously mentioned compelling question and supporting question in order to get the students minds thinking about the topic as well as provide a section for students to make previous connections with the content. The students can discuss in small groups the topic of the inquiry project, and both the compelling and supporting questions. This allows for the students to give their input to the group while mixing in all kinds of prior knowledge. In order to teach the research part of the problem, I found age-appropriate resources for the students to use. These resources include everything from videos, to pictures, to articles and so on. Again, in small groups the students will go into detail within the resources in order to find answers for the questions provided. As for examining solutions using evidence, I believe the best way to do so would be to gather the findings that the students accumulated during the research section of the lesson. Evidence provided in the cited sources should provide solutions to our compelling/supporting questions. In the small groups the students will write down the provided solutions to the questions and be ready to share aloud for the class to use. As for communicating solutions and taking informed action, the students can use the solutions found in research and apply them to their every day life. Students will inform others of their gained knowledge, and spread the word by practicing what they preach.
TEKS
112.13.B.9.A.Science:2nd: Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to: identify the basic needs of plants and animals;
112.12.B.10.A.Science:1st: Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats;
Teaching Materials:
Reference List
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/stop-animal-abuse/fact-sheets/animal-shelter-euthanasia.html
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/adoption-pet-care/issues-information/pet-overpopulation.html
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html
http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/pet-adoption-the-facts-and-benefits_513ed874727d0.jpg
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/breedersvsrescues.htm
http://www.spca.com/?page_id=4882&lang=en
http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/overpopulation/euthanasia/