Stray Dogs

Stray Dogs

By: Hannah Buttjer

start

Index

Problem Description

Slide 3

Personal Reflection

Slide 7

What is being done?

Slide 10

Local Activity Proposal

Slide 17

Problem Description

This section includes:

• PO3
• PO4
• References and Sources

PO3

The problem of Stry dogs:

• Although cute, stray dogs can pose a big threat to communities. They spread diseases, create waste, cause traffic accidents, and can be dangerous to humans. These strays can be found in nearly every community in the world, but they are particularly problematic in largely populated areas, like cities. They tend to stick to slum areas and alleyways but can be found on highways, city parks, and even on the sidewalks outside of shops. In mild cases, the animals are nuisances to pedestrians, but in extreme cases, if the dogs become rabid or aggressive, they can cause injury or death to other animals or humans. Additionally, when stray dogs are picked up off the streets, they are turned into animal shelters. This causes the animal shelters to become overfilled and often leads to mass euthanasia of stray dogs. Overall stray dogs in cities pose many problems for pedestrians. This report will focus on three of the main problems of stray dogs including, the waste and damage they leave behind, the danger they pose to humans, and the overfilling of animal shelters.

Full Text Here

PO4

VIDEO

A video summary of the problems caused by stray dogs

Sources & Evaluation Tables

“Animal Shelters FAQ: What to Know before Adopting a ‘Pet.’” PETA, 30 Nov. 2022, www.peta.org/features/animal-shelters/#:~:text=An%20animal%20shelter%20is%20a,are%20made%20available%20for%20adoption. “Ever Wondered Where Strays Come From?” Zero Stray Pawject | Where Social Welfare Meets Animal Welfare in Greece to Achieve Zero Stray Dogs, www.zerostraypawject.org/strays-explained. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023. “Pet Statistics.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/helping-people-pets/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023. “Rabies in Dogs: VCA Animal Hospital: VCA Animal Hospitals.” Vca, vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/rabies-in-dogs. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023. Service, Tribune News. “Despite MC Claims, Stray Dog Menace Haunts City Residents.” Tribuneindia News Service, www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/despite-mc-claims-stray-dog-menace-haunts-city-residents-20803. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023. Skierkowski, Nicholas. “Top 10 Common Problems Caused by Stray Dogs.” Nature’s Mace, 10 July 2023, naturesmace.com/blogs/blog/top-10-common-problems-caused-by-stray-dogs.

Source Eval Tabels

Personal Reflection

This section includes:

• Personal Motivation- reflection 2
• Personal Preparation- reflection 6

Personal Motivation

Reflection 2:

• The topic I chose is stray dogs in cities. I am passionate about this problem because I used to work at a vet's office, and I have seen the effect of stray dogs on my small town and have done research before about the effects in a large city. Some of the effects of this problem I witness was over-boarding at our office, so much so that we had to turn new strays away. We also have a salvage yard in town, and this is the area the stray dogs would frequent. This yard is next to the railroad tracks. Not only were dogs getting hit by trains, but they were being aggressive to the people who worked at or wanted to browse the salvage yard. There were several incidents when the cops were called and had to shoot violent dogs.
• That is what inspires me to find a solution. I would like to help not only my town, but other areas with this problem. If one area has a problem with this, it can spread to other areas. In larger cities, “slum” areas are more heavily populated with strays. However, these strays often wander into more densely populated areas, including tourist areas. These tourists often try to feed the strays and sometimes end up getting bitten or even attacked. For the sake of community members, tourists, and everyone who could be affected, a solution to this issue needs to be found.
• Finally, finding a solution to this would help keep communities like mine safer and cleaner, and vet hospitals and shelters less crowded. In addition to violence, strays also spread diseases, create filth and waste, and overpopulate shelters. Stray dogs are often in contact with animals like racoons that carry rabies. Rabid dogs can be very dangerous. They also carry fleas, lice, ringworm, and other contagions that can be transmitted through blood borne pathogens, skin contact, saliva, and feces. Additionally, their excrement is left on sidewalks, at the base of buildings, and in other areas where people or other animals might encounter it. Finally, they are taking up too much space in shelters that they are being euthanized. All of these reasons explain why I am passionate about this issue, and why it needs to be solved.

Personal Preparation

Reflection 6:

• Wartburg is helping me to grow my skills and talents, not only in Biology, but also in life. It is helping me to learn how to work hard and how to be most productive and learn important time management. All these skills will be helpful later in life when I get a job and start a family. It will be important to balance my time. Additionally, Wartburg will teach me about Biology, which I will need to know so I can go to graduate school and become a doctor.
• My project this semester in IS is to solve the problem of Stray dogs in cities. While I do not think Waverly has a high population of stray dogs, I am still able to make a difference by supporting and raising money for local animal shelters and veterinary hospitals. Wartburg is built on service. I am involved in the St Elizabeth’s Chorale, and we are also very centered around service. Overall, Wartburg will help me understand the importance pf service while also giving me opportunities to do so in this community.

What is Being Done?

This section includes:

• Overview
• Role of STEM Professions
• Example 1
• Example 2
• Example 3
• References and Sources

Overview

• Stray dogs can pose a major problem to communities. Not only are they dirty, but they are also dangerous to other dogs, people, and tourists. Additionally, stray dogs take up too much room in animal shelters. These strays can be found in nearly every community in the world, but they are particularly problematic in largely populated areas, like cities. They tend to stick to slum areas and alleyways but can be found on highways, in city parks, and even on the sidewalks outside of shops. These stray dogs are posing major threats to cities and communities, and it is important that an effective solution is found quickly to counteract this issue.
• The next important way to figure out a solution to a problem is to first examine the methods that are currently being used to solve or further investigate this problem. According to PetPlace, the best way to solve the problem is to counter the mass reproduction of stray animals. This includes catching strays and taking them to vets or shelters to be spayed or neutered. While this is an extremely effective way to decrease the population of these animals, it is not a solution to everything. Afterall, what happens to the dogs after they get medical care? Unfortunately, these dogs are still being released back onto the streets as strays or they continue taking up room in animal shelters. Additionally, someone must pay for these surgeries, which can often be expensive depending on the weight and age of the dog.

Role of Stem Professions

• There are many different organizations that conduct research on stray animals. Perhaps the most well-known research group in America is called the STRAYS Project (The 'strays' project). Strays research was structured “as an academic PhD research study and involved collecting data on dog populations from two study sites (Lviv, Ukraine and Teramo, Italy) and on public attitudes towards stray dogs using online surveys (in Italy, Ukraine, and Bulgaria).” This organization focusses their efforts on a birth control solution for strays. Specifically, the Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) solution. This is a powerful solution because it decreases stray offspring and keeps the number of stray dogs in kennels and shelters at a minimum. For this organization and solution to work, these professors, researchers, and volunteers must partner with veterinarians. Veterinary medicine is one branch of the STEM field. These veterinarians are trained to neuter (and spay) dogs, cats, and sometimes livestock.

Example 1

Full Text Here

• The first example of work being done to address this problem is called the Five Year Plan (Lyu). This plan was proposed by an American research group seeking to propose a way to solve this problem in a way that is both fast and practical. They produced the Five Year Plan. The first part of this plan depends on the government producing an animal rights law that protects strays. Next, the government and public sectors need to provide means of vaccinating, neutering, and providing rescue or medical care to all strays (not just dogs). Third, the government must provide more support to nongovernmental agencies that seek to support strays. This includes private animal shelters and veterinary clinics. The final aspect of the five year plan is establishing “dog farms.” Dog farms are centers that would focus on the rescue and rehoming of strays. They would also provide educational services to pet owners, enhance monitoring and controlling of stray dog populations, and finally improve the lives of strays. These dog farms would also take some pressure off overpopulated shelters.
• This article is being done by a student research team at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The professor overseeing the work is Dr. Peijin Lyu. This group has conducted some of their own studies, which were funded by the college. Most of their data has come from previously recorded population counts and interviews with politicians and veterinarians. When they started their project, they knew they would need to produce a timely and practical plan. They decided to create a five-year plan, which is what is proposed in this article. This plan includes not only science but also politics and human services. There is science in studying animals and performing neutering and vaccinations. There is much communication and partnership required from the government. Finally, by enacting this plan and helping strays, they will also be helping cities and communities.

Example 2

Full Text Here

• The next solution I found also focusses on fixing the problem of overpopulation. However, this is a very unique way of doing it. This group, called the 600Million.org (Pacheco) is developing a cookie that a dog or cat will eat one time and become permanently spayed or neutered- without surgery. The goal of this cookie is to be able to mass produce them, with an incredibly low input and distribution cost. However, this technology is still in the works. The goal of this organization is for this cookie to have no side effects on a human; however, this is difficult to test. So far, the group has had several successful tests of this cookie that have permanently sterilized both male and female dogs, without providing any side effects on humans. The group thinks that they might be able to begin circulating this project in as little as three years.
• There are many benefits that come with using this method of sterilization. The first is that it is being designed to be much cheaper than a spay surgery. Most of the time, only male dogs are captured and neutered because the cost of neutering a dog is about half that of spaying a female. Even less for cats. When males are neutered, they cannot impregnate the females. However, females can have up to twelve puppies in a litter. This means the rate of neutering dogs would have to be extremely high to balance out the rate of puppies being born. This is just not practical. That is why it is so important that this cookie can spay the females. Another benefit is that it is much easier to feed a dog a treat than it is to perform the surgery. While these surgeries are not often difficult, the ease of the cookie is much preferred to the surgery. Finally, this project requires much less governed involvement than the previous solution did.
• The lead of this project is a man named Alex Pacheco. He is often described as the Father of the Modern-Day Animal Rights Movement in the United States. He is also co-founder of both the world’s largest animal rights organization (PETA) and the world’s largest non-profit animal adoption organization (Adopt-A-Pet). Although Alex is not a scientist, his work on the Cookie is considered scientific research. He and his team have been working to produce and perfect the cookie for about a year. They believe they have successfully discovered a safe and cheap way to implement mass sterilization in stray dogs.

Example 3

Full Text Here

• This next solution is an example of a grassroots method. A grassroots method is something that was created within a community, in this case, to solve a problem. The approch that this community took to solve this problem is to spread education about stray dogs and owning pets. Cesar Millin is the founder of this club that focusses on the human treatment of animals, including stray dogs. The club is called Ceasar’s Way (Millian) and although he does not mention what community he is in or any of his other team members, he does mention the work that they have done to educate people. The first thing this group does when educating the public is to tell them what is really happening to stray animals. The fact is most strays end up euthanized. While this is often done humanely and does technically solve the problem of stray dogs, this is a sad thing to hear for many people. When Ceasar’s Way teaches about the “kill, adopt, or dump” policy that is often used when dealing with strays. The group discusses why this is such a terrible policy. For one, they claim that this great country ought to have more respect for “man's best friend.” Secondly, they mention that the US spends 4 to 5 million dollars on euthanizing or trying to care for stray dogs every year. Finally, he shows viewers with a graph (below) that sending a stray to a shelter can often result in death for the animal. Cesar’s Way argues that it is better to treat the problem at the source by educating the public than it is to try to manage the effects.
• This group says that the best way to solve the stray dog problem is to educate pet owners and reduce the number of animals that end up as strays. They encourage owners to have well trained dogs and to spay or neuter every animal as a juvenile. For back-up credit they look to Europe and Germany. In these countries, all dogs must be spayed or neutered. If the dog is meant for breeding the owner must apply for a license. This ensures that if a dog becomes a stray, it will not be able to reproduce. This method is so effective that these countries spend hardly any money euthanizing strays and instead, can put the money into the economy or into local rescue shelters.
• This group has been working on educating their community for about ten years and have recently decided to produce published works including a website, books, and even how-to videos. Overall, they have noticed a decrease in the amount of strays in their community and hope that they can share their knowledge to the rest of the world and continue to lower the amount of stray dogs in cities.

Source Evaluation Tables

Avoiding Incidents with Stray Dogs - Bark Busters, www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-tips/avoiding-incidents-with-stray-dogs. Accessed 21 Nov. 2023. Lyu, Peijin. “Longdom Publishing SL: Open Access Journals.” Longdom, Longdom Publishing S.L, 30 Nov. 2001, www.longdom.org/open-access/proposal-on-solutions-to-stray-dog-problem-in-american-cities-35066.html. Millian, Cesar. “Solving the Stray and Unwanted Dog Problem.” Cesar’s Way, 30 May 2022, www.cesarsway.com/solving-the-stray-and-unwanted-dog-problem/. Pacheco, Alex. “Subscribe Today - Google: 600 Million Dogs.” 600 Million Dogs, 2023, www.600milliondogs.org/cats-and-dogs-overpopulation?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3uGqBhDdARIsAFeJ5r1WvwY74NyfPvwcC5Vnr0wLlHXqyHxYAI45f_jwf_YIlM4NTHsmL5saAo9nEALw_wcB. Veterinarians, PetPlace. “Stray Dog Rescue: How to Help Your Community.” PetPlace, www.petplace.com/article/dogs/pet-care/dog-care/stray-dog-rescue-how-to-help-your-community#:~:text=The%20best%20thing%20to%20do,local%20humane%20society%20or%20shelter. Accessed 20 Nov. 2023. “The ‘strays’ Project.” FOUR PAWS in US - Global Animal Protection Organization, 10 Aug. 2022, www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/topics/science-and-research/research-strays.

Source Eval Tables

Local Activity Proposal

This section includes:

• Pitch 2
• Preparation for Pitch
• Reflection 13

Pitch 2

Preparation for Pitch

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Aor3OKEObe86g0zgMRTYKXQjEeZR?e=XqqY3V

VISIT LINK ABOVE

Reflection 13

• I think the pitch went well. This was the first pitch I have ever made. If I could change anything I think I should have added more colors to my slide, the grey scale theme was dull and not very enticing. I think my pitch would have been more effective if I had used bright, meaningful colors. This would also have made my pitch more memorable.
• I think the preparation steps were helpful because they gave me a good idea of where to start and what to include. Sometimes I think I already know all the right answers, but meeting with a group of people with innovative ideas can often be greatly beneficial to my project. I think also being able to hear others' feedback on our ideas was helpful in adapting our pitch to be something that everyone wanted to hear about.
• I did feel prepared for my pitch. I think notecards would have been helpful if this were a more formal pitch. I enjoyed being able to see my slide during my pitch and being able to summarize my ideas. I tried not to put too many words on my slide and instead elaborated with words during my presentation.
• I appreciated that we went step by step throughout this entire process. Sometimes getting one big project thrown at me all at once can be really overwhelming. I also really appreciate examples of others’ projects because the expectations are, ideas for formatting, and other useful information.
• For next year I would recommend allowing us to write in double spaced font. It is much easier to write and read this way. Plus, I would assume that most of us grew up using MLA formatting.
• As for the activities, I think we picked the 3 most effective options. Holden and I will make both a physical and monetary donation to a humane society. Stone and Alexa will work to improve the Mensa menu and healthy eating. And we will volunteer at the nursing home with CJ. All of these activities are very hands on and creative. Each project will allow us to do something, learn something, and make a positive impact on our community through service.

Thanks!